Fuel price hike squeezes delivery workers’ pockets

Panaji: Twenty-seven-year-old food delivery agent Malappa Nagareddy cannot afford to skip work even for a day. His daily earnings of Rs 1,500 are the sole support for his ailing mother’s medical expenses.

A major share of his income goes into petrol enabling him to complete 20-25 deliveries daily, often forcing him to skip meals. With petrol prices rising by Rs 3, his expenses and worries have increased.

The situation is similar for nearly 83,000 gig workers in Goa, most from neighbouring states. They work nearly 12-hour shifts in the heat and rain, with fuel being a major expense to meet daily targets.

“I have travelled as far as 20km just to deliver a dosa. It is not optional for us to decline a delivery. We spend up to Rs 400 daily just to keep the tank filled. If I don’t work I lose my entire day’s pay,” Nagareddy said.

Workers say companies offer minimal financial support with costs of vehicles and fuel borne by them. Ikram Hussain, a delivery agent from Caranzalem, said, “It’s difficult to survive on such incomewhen we have to pay for everything. We even spend Rs 1,000 for delivery bags to ensure food reaches customers safely. If petrolkeep rising I don’t know how long this job will sustain us.”

Workers travel as far as Baga and Anjuna from Panaji for deliveries with income often inadequate for the distances covered. Out of 10 deliveries only one or two yield a generous tip. Binod Pariyar, on his way to Candolim from Miramar, said, “Tips depend entirely on customers. Ratings also impact our earnings. If ratings drop our income falls.”

Madhya Pradesh-based Ravindra Baghel said, “Our base earning is Rs 10 per km. During peak hours from 8pm to 11pm it increases. In rains we get a Rs 20 surge charge. The more we deliver the more we earn. But with high fuel prices we are back to where we started. Luckily my wife works as a cook so expenses are balanced.”

Workers said rising fuel costs and lack of employer support are making gig work unsustainable even as demand for deliveries continues to grow across Goa.