Every time I cross the dark store near my house, I see at least 10–15 delivery partners waiting with their bags and that’s the bare minimum.
At first glance, it feels like quick commerce has opened the doors to massive employment. Yeah, it has created unbelievable employment. More than 3 Lakh Delivery riders are there and their monthly wages have also gone up.
But I did a bit of digging and what I found was shocking.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
1. 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
- Only 30–40% of dark stores provide basic amenities like toilets, drinking water, or proper seating.
- Delivery partners often spend 10–12 hours a day in these facilities with barely any rest during peak demand hours.
2. 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱
- A report revealed that over 70% of gig workers admitted to breaking traffic rules to meet targets.
- Nearly 60% reported feeling fatigued or sleep-deprived during work, a condition known to increase the risk of accidents.
- According to the Ministry of Road, urban road accidents involving two-wheelers saw a 17% increase over the past three years.
- I believe these datapoints are enough to show how risky Quick Commerce delivery has become. For delivery riders, every minute lost could mean income lost.
𝟯. 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲
- Inside these stores, packers are expected to complete 90% of orders within 120 seconds.
- Store operators face penalties of ₹1,000 for delays of 30 minutes to an hour and ₹5,000 for 2–4 hours. The pressure inevitably trickles down to the workers.
𝟰. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
- On paper, many delivery partners earn between ₹18,000–₹25,000 a month, but rising fuel and maintenance costs take a big chunk away.
𝟱. 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆
- Most delivery partners are classified as gig workers, not employees.
- This means no PF, ESI, health insurance, or paid leave.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲?
𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
- Regular safety workshops, provision of helmets, and incentives for safe driving could help reduce accidents.
𝟮. 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀
- Toilets, seating, drinking water, and rest zones should be non-negotiable.
𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀
- Moving from “10 minutes” to “20–30 minutes” won’t kill the model but will drastically reduce pressure on riders.
𝟰. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘀
- Platforms could provide group accident insurance, health cover.
- Labour codes need faster implementation.
As customers we need to ask this question to ourselves - Are we willing to wait 20 minutes instead of 10 if it means better conditions for the people who make this convenience possible? Comment and tell your opinion