Just about everything comes to your door today — from food and groceries to clothes and appliances. For thousands of workers who bring them over, it is always a race against time. Quick commerce companies promise customers deliveries in about 10 minutes, placing an unrealistic expectation on the delivery personnel who have to navigate Bengaluru’s notorious traffic congestion. As a result, delivery workers overspeeding, zooming on footpaths to bypass jams, weaving their way through congested lanes and jumping signals is a common sight in the city.

As Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh puts it, the large presence of delivery personnel on pedestrian paths has even created the perception that footpaths are not out of bounds for motorists.

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The significant number of delivery personnel on the road and the nature of the gig economy has added to making the city’s roads more unsafe than they already were. There are also several cases of delivery personnel racing against time becoming accident victims themselves. Bengaluru has recorded at least 27 accidents over the last three years where delivery persons have been victims.

Bengaluru Traffic Police data accessed by The Hindu shows that violations by delivery partners have increased dramatically. In 2023, the Bengaluru Traffic Police booked 30,968 cases against delivery personnel. This rose sharply to 52,153 in 2024, and climbed again to 63,718 in just the first nine months of 2025. These numbers point not merely to individual lapses, but to a worsening systemic issue tied to the nature of gig work, rising urban pressure, and regulatory gaps.

The police have encountered several law and order cases as well. One such incident, described by Singh, involved a worker disappearing with a laptop he was to deliver. At the time of joining, he concealed his previous theft record, and the company, operating within a fast-expanding gig-work environment, failed to conduct proper background checks. When the police probed the case, they found that he had been sacked from another company because of his alleged involvement in a similar case.

In 2023, 13 law and order cases involving delivery personnel were reported. In 2024, the number recorded was seven. In 2025 so far, the tally has risen to 24, according to the city crime records bureau.

Larger social issue

According to R.S. Deshpande, former professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), these rising violations are deeply rooted in broader socio-economic factors. He notes that although gig working models, prevalent in many Western countries, have expanded rapidly in India, the regulatory frameworks that support such systems in the West have not been developed here.

The absence of clear laws governing gig work has had cascading effects on workers’ lives and has resulted in growing concerns related to traffic disruptions, unsafe road behaviour, and petty crimes. Researchers studying the gig economy echoed his perspective, pointing also to the lack of social responsibility among aggregators, lawmakers’ failure to address the multi-layered dimensions of gig work, and the availability and exploitation of cheap migrant labour as major contributing factors. Singh agreed that these structural conditions amplify both traffic violations and crime.

Meeting with aggregators

As complaints grew, the Bengaluru Police convened a meeting last month with platform aggregators that employ gig workers. During the meeting, police presented an extensive set of documented violations committed by gig-economy workers and announced a series of measures. They warned aggregators that they would now begin fixing accountability directly on the companies through existing laws if violations continued.

The largest category of violations involves traffic offences.

Micromobility EV scooters, popular because they are inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to manoeuvre, make up a major share of these complaints. Yet, as police officers pointed out, almost no formal cases have been booked against riders of these scooters because they do not fall under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. “Legally, these scooters are treated like bicycles rather than motor vehicles,” said Sahil Bagla, DCP (East, Traffic). He noted that police cannot impose penalties unless the scooter causes a traffic disruption, although special drives are conducted regularly to address such behaviour.

According to documents accessed by The Hindu, other crimes listed by Bengaluru Police involving delivery workers include robbery, assault, molestation, theft, sexual harassment and public nuisance.

Another major issue is drug movement. Peddlers have often used delivery services to transport drugs to customers using parcel options provided by aggregators. While many deliveries are unintentional on the part of delivery partners, police have found cases where delivery persons colluded with peddlers, who charged customers transportation fees and passed that money to delivery personnel. In another case, peddlers packaged drugs in medium-sized boxes, filled them with heavy objects to avoid suspicion, and delivered them to locations without the knowledge of the delivery person.

The police also flag the behavioural impact of delivery persons on the public. C. Vamsi Krishna, Additional Commissioner (West), said, “When congestion is high and motorists spot delivery persons riding on the footpath, it is highly likely that others will follow the same path. Reinforcing such behaviour threatens public safety and causes traffic disorderliness.”

Unrealistic deadlines

While delivery personnel often get profiled and stigmatised as violators, Vinay Sarathy, president of the United Food Delivery Partners’ Union, pointed out that there is immense pressure on delivery partners from two sides when they are working under time-bound delivery targets: from the aggregators and from the customers.

“Platforms portray as if 10-minute delivery is real, but practically it cannot be done so. Even the platforms are aware of it. On the other hand, when delivery partners are delayed due to genuine issues on the ground, such as traffic, aggregators issue warnings and sometimes even impose fines. The punishment can go as far as deactivating the delivery partners’ IDs, which means they can no longer work with the company,” he said.

He further added that although instances of customers shouting at delivery partners do not occur very frequently, the problem still persists, and delivery partners constantly have in mind that they must deliver the parcel quickly. “So, whenever the police conduct drives to crack down on delivery partners, we have urged that they should instead hold the companies (aggregators) responsible, because they are the ones who set unrealistic deadlines,” he said.

Gajendra Singh, a delivery partner, speaking to The Hindu, said that customers lose their temper most of the time when a parcel is delayed by even 10 minutes. “There will be at least two calls if the order is delayed by a few minutes. Sometimes, when we have to deliver multiple orders, we are bound to be a bit late, but that is not condoned by customers, and they abuse us,” Gajendra Singh said, adding that such aspects of the job force them to break traffic rules.

Victims themselves

While delivery workers are often involved in violations, they are also frequent victims of crime. According to Akshay Hakay Machhindra, DCP (Central), theft is the most common crime targeting delivery personnel. Many orders are placed after 10 p.m., which requires delivery workers to navigate isolated or poorly lit routes late at night. Thieves exploit this vulnerability, frequently snatching mobile phones. Investigations have revealed that some thieves specifically seek out delivery workers because they know the workers rely heavily on their phones for work.

Delivery personnel have also been threatened or intimidated by rowdy elements, sometimes being coerced into assisting in criminal activities. In the ride-hailing segment, similar issues surface. Deepika M.G., a professor at Alliance University, noted that cab drivers get verbally abused by intoxicated passengers, and some customers refuse to pay fares.

Industrial and Legislative failures

Deepika emphasised that gaps in the regulatory framework have contributed significantly to the rising number of cases involving gig workers. When the Central government consolidated labour laws under the new labour codes, the Code on Industrial Relations did not address gig work and applied only to full-time employees. The Code on Wages (2019) also requires an employer–employee relationship, something that does not exist in the gig-work model.

If aggregators had been legally defined as employers and gig workers as employees, companies would have formal accountability. This would compel them to create safer working conditions, invest in training, and ensure that workers do not violate laws in the course of earning their wages. Instead, the current system relies heavily on incentives linked to fast deliveries, the number of orders completed, and customer ratings. These incentives, experts said, encourage risky behaviour.

Most delivery workers are migrants who move to the city seeking better livelihoods. Their desire to earn and send money home often drives them to take risks. Machhindra said that aggregators maintain “zero relationship” with delivery partners, as the entire system is governed by order IDs. Delivery workers, he said, are treated simply as “a mode of transport”.

Deepika also pointed out that although Karnataka introduced the Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act, 2025, widely praised by stakeholders and activists for its progressive provisions, it has yet to be fully implemented.

Aggregators’ role

The police have pointed to several ways aggregators could reduce violations: enforcing stricter hiring practices, providing training, linking incentives to zero traffic violations, and issuing clear behavioural SOPs. However, aggregators continue to hire workers without proper background verification because of high demand and the availability of cheap labour. This has resulted in widespread problems.

Officers said aggregators avoid responsibility by defining themselves merely as “service providers” and by offering incentives that encourage unsafe, high-speed riding.

Delivery workers confirm the role of incentives. Naveen Raj, a delivery partner from Bihar, said night-time incentives and fast-delivery bonuses significantly increase their earnings. Ratings also matter, as higher ratings lead to more orders. Another delivery partner, Luv Kumar, said micro EV scooters are cost-effective and easy to manoeuvre through narrow lanes, allowing workers to make more deliveries in less time.

The city Police Commissioner noted that aggregators often fail to conduct even basic background verification, allowing habitual offenders to enter the workforce.

Deepika argued for legislative reforms to regulate this economy on the whole. She pointed out that a large number of workers from unorganised sectors have moved into gig work. With no reforms to the Contract Labour Act regarding wages and incentives, or better protections for unorganised workers, gig work becomes an attractive option because workers can earn up to ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 a month. In contrast, other unorganised workers earn an average of ₹15,000 a month and can lose an entire month’s income to a single medical bill. Thus, gig work appears more profitable despite its risks.

Now, in the absence of strict regulation, the Bengaluru Police have adopted a “fix accountability-or-book” approach.

Aggregators’ accountability

At the meeting held last month, the police issued mandatory guidelines for gig-based service operators to improve safety for both workers and the public. They said that companies must conduct thorough background checks, ensure that workers carry ID cards, provide identifiable uniforms, activate SOS features linked to police control rooms, maintain GPS tracking with at least 30 days of data, and implement night-time safety measures. Delivery workers must also receive regular training on safety, cyber-awareness, and appropriate customer conduct, the police said.

Operators must promptly share verified worker data with the police, report any crimes or accidents involving workers, and suspend workers accused of misconduct until investigations are complete. Nodal officers will be held responsible for compliance, and violations may result in legal action.

Although there are no direct legal provisions to charge aggregators, the police plan to use indirect sections under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, including negligent behaviour or aiding criminal offences. They may also recommend licence cancellations of aggregators in cases of repeated violations.

As Hyderabad grapples with incessant rains, gig workers who have been braving the adverse weather conditions shared the challenges they face while delivering food and groceries and transporting passengers to their destinations.

“I had to pay ₹650 out of my own pocket to the company for this raincoat,” said Hemant Kumar, a food delivery worker, as he delivered an order in Banjara Hills. “The company doesn’t do much for our welfare, and sometimes customers don’t understand our problems. If my bike breaks down in the rain or if it rains heavily and the order is late, the customer complains to the company. This affects my rating.”

Mohammed Jawed, a cab driver, underscored the severe toll that the persistent rains have taken on those in his profession. “During rains, we have to deal with bad roads, and waterlogging that damage our cars, both in the long and short term,” he said. The situation is exacerbated by the high cost of repairing modern vehicles, where even a faulty sensor — which he says is an expensive component — can lead to significant financial strain.

He recounted how bikes belonging to those within his network were recently submerged in water during heavy downpours. Insurance companies often refuse to cover such damages, categorising them as acts of God. Moreover, cab drivers and those who pick up and drop passengers have to deal with the possible repercussions of being unable to take rides due to rains. “Because it rains, the customer is unable to walk 50 metres. If heavy rains prevent me from reaching a customer, and suppose I have to cancel the ride, the customer might lodge a complaint. This could lead to my driver ID being temporarily suspended by the company,” he explained.

Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), a body working for the welfare of gig and platform workers, recently submitted a memorandum to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), seeking comprehensive insurance for workers and better access to early warning systems in the aftermath of heatwaves experienced across the country earlier this year. Shaik Salauddin, State President, TGPWU, said that while heat waves do pose a health hazard for workers, intense spells of rain too have a similar effect on them.

“There is a need for more real-time information about road conditions, water-logging and which areas to avoid. Recently, a video clip went viral which showed a delivery worker in Ahmedabad working in knee-deep water, which is not good. The life and safety of workers is important. If done right, the algorithms can quickly give the right information to workers. The companies do not provide insurance. This is the right time for the government to step-in and table the long-awaited bill for gig and platform workers,” Mr Salauddin said.

New Delhi:

 Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday highlighted the plight of gig workers and asserted that the Congress governments in states would make concrete policies to solve their problems while the INDIA bloc would strive for ensuring their nationwide implementation.

Mr Gandhi made the remarks on X, where he posted a video of a recent ride he took in a Uber cab and the interaction he had with the driver.

“Low income and inflation ruining lives — this is the plight of India’s gig workers! In discussion with Sunil Upadhyay ji during a Uber ride and then, after meeting his family, took stock of the problems faced by gig workers such as cab drivers and delivery agents in the country,” the former Congress chief said in Hindi on X.

आमदनी कम और महंगाई से निकलता दम – ये है भारत के gig workers की व्यथा!

सुनील उपाध्याय जी के साथ एक Uber यात्रा के दौरान चर्चा में और फिर उनके परिवार से मिल कर देश के Cab drivers और Delivery agents जैसे gig workers की समस्याओं का जायज़ा लिया।

‘हैंड टू माउथ इनकम’ में इनका गुज़ारा… pic.twitter.com/46y9o1Iul8

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 19, 2024

“They are barely surviving on ‘hand to mouth income’ — no savings and no foundation for the family’s future. To solve these, the state governments of the Congress will do justice by making concrete policies,” he said.

The INDIA ‘janbandhan’ will ensure their nationwide implementation with full force, Mr Gandhi added.

In the over-11 minute video, Mr Gandhi is seen taking a cab ride after booking a taxi through the Uber app.

He interacts with the cab driver, who belongs to Etah in Uttar Pradesh, and asks him about his problems.

The cab driver tells Mr Gandhi that he is surviving on bare minimum funds with poor rates for drivers and no social security.

He also talks about thoughts of returning to his native village, being unable to make ends meet in Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi ends the ride and hands over a gift for the children of the cab driver.

The day after the ride, Mr Gandhi is seen having lunch with the family of the cab driver at an eatery in Delhi.

Congress leader Mr Gandhi assures them that Congress governments in various states were thinking about gig workers and he wanted to ensure social security for the drivers and their families.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh listed some of the features of the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill such as establishing the gig workers’ social security and welfare fund and gig workers welfare board to advocate for gig workers. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Citing legislations by its State Governments to ensure justice for gig workers, the Congress on July 11 said India needs a national legal and social security architecture for such workers and hoped that the forthcoming Union Budget will take a step in that direction.

Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, is a landmark rights-based legislation that brings formal rights and social security to platform-based gig workers in the State.

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The Karnataka Government last month released a draft of the proposed Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024, which aimed to protect their rights in the State with the creation of a board, welfare fund and grievance cell among other mechanisms.

Mr. Ramesh listed some of the features of the Bill such as establishing the gig workers’ social security and welfare fund and gig workers welfare board to advocate for gig workers.

The Bill also calls for mandatory registration of all gig workers with the government and States that aggregators can no longer terminate a worker without giving 14 days prior notice and a valid reason.

According to the Bill, aggregators must make payments to gig workers every week.

“Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has been a leading voice for India’s gig workers since the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Mr. Ramesh said in his post on X.

He said the Congress Governments in Telangana and Karnataka, and the previous Congress Government in Rajasthan, have brought powerful legislation to bring gig workers justice.

Social security for gig workers was also a key guarantee given by the Indian National Congress’s Nyay Patra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he pointed out.

“As much as State Governments can do, India needs a national legal and social security architecture for gig workers. Their numbers are only projected to rise, from 77 lakh in 2022 to about 2.4 crore in 2030. The ball is in the court of the Union Government. Hopefully the forthcoming Budget will take a step in this direction,” Mr. Ramesh said.

According to Karnataka’s Labour department, the objectives of the proposed Bill are “to protect the rights of platform-based gig workers, to place obligations on aggregators in relation to social security, occupational health and safety, transparency in automated monitoring and decision-making systems and to provide dispute resolution mechanisms,” among others.

Due to the demanding work hours, the study found that drivers are physically exhausted, and exposed to an increased risk of road traffic accidents. File.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Almost a third of app-based cab drivers work for over 14 hours a day, while more than 83% work more than 10 hours and 60% work over 12 hours, according to a study of more than 10,000 Indian cab drivers, gig and platform workers. It noted that social disparities make the situation worse, with over 60% of the drivers from Scheduled Castes and Tribes working for over 14 hours a day, while only 16% from the unreserved category work such long hours.

Authors of the study, which will be released on Monday, recommended stronger social security for app-based workers, and called on the government to exercise oversight on the fairness of algorithms and mechanisms used by platforms to monitor such workers.

Also read | Are gig workers nobody’s employees?

The study was conducted by the People’s Association in Grassroots Action and Movements, and the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers, with technical support from the University of Pennsylvania and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung India, a German foundation.

Low pay, long hours

The study report says that over 43% of participants in the study earn less than ₹500 a day or ₹15,000 a month, after deducting all their costs. The study found that 34% of app-based delivery persons earn less than ₹10,000 a month, while 78% of them are spending over 10 hours each day at work. Noting the differences among workers from different castes, the report said that “these income disparities further exacerbate the already existing social inequalities and perpetuate cycles of poverty and distress within these communities”.

Overall, 5302 cab drivers and 5028 delivery persons across eight cities — Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Jaipur, and Indore — participated in a 50-question survey; 78% of the respondents were in the age group of 21 to 40 years.

Due to the demanding work hours, the study found that drivers are physically exhausted, and exposed to an increased risk of road traffic accidents, especially due to the ‘10-minute delivery at the doorstep’ policy of certain e-commerce platforms. The report said that 86% of delivery persons found such policies “completely unacceptable”. The lack of social and job security creates additional stress and leads to potential health issues.

Expenses exceed earnings

“While 72% of the cab drivers said that they face difficulty in managing expenses, 76% of the delivery persons are struggling to make their ends meet. 68% of cab drivers’ responses even show that their overall expenses exceed their earnings, which indicate how a vast number of app-based workers could be in debt-like situations,” the report said, urging better compensation and support for these workers.

Over 80% of app-based cab drivers were not satisfied with the fares offered by the companies, while over 73% of app-based delivery persons showed dissatisfaction with their rates. “35% of the respondents reported that according to them, the companies are deducting between 31-40% of commission rate per ride, while the officially claimed figure by the companies themselves is 20%. The screenshot data evidence also points out to the deductions on each ride to be over 31%. 68% of the respondents said that these deductions are arbitrary, unexplained and unfair,” the report said.

Customer misbehaviour

It added that 41% of the drivers said they are unable to take even a single day off in a week; 48% of delivery persons too reported their inability to take a weekly off. Less than 37% of the drivers said they belonged to a union.

Another major complaint of the workers is the issue of ID deactivation and customer misbehaviour. “A glaring 83% of the drivers reported that the issue of ID blocking affects them negatively, 47% stated that this issue extremely affects them. In the case of delivery persons, this percentage is even higher at 87%. Customer behaviour affects a significant majority (72%) of drivers in a negative way, while 68% of delivery persons are reportedly affected by it negatively,” the report said.

Making deliveries on time. Illustration of a food delivery worker riding a vehicle to drop a delivery
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

A survey report on food delivery partners by the National Council of Applied Economic Research validates several common beliefs, such as workers being young graduates who work extended hours for better pay and independence. However, the study also reveals new insights: a sizable portion of them are sole breadwinners in their families and a notable share experienced a drop in income compared to their previous jobs. The findings further indicate a decline in their real income over time even as the share of income that they spent on fuel has risen, resulting in a double whammy

1. A majority of them agreed that deliveries can be increased if they worked harder, while a similar share also said that this was not in their control due to traffic and restaurant delays
2. A significant share of them spent a sizeable amount buying new phones and vehicles for the job

Profile of a food delivery partner

An overview of the average food delivery worker, encompassing their background and skill sets, according to the survey

• The typical food delivery worker is a 29-year-old male
• Nearly one-fourth (23.8%) of these workers are in their first job, and of this group, 88% are students
• Food delivery workers lack social security protection. Only 61.9% of delivery workers receive rations, 12.2% possess an Ayushman Bharat card, 7.1% are registered on the e-Shram portal, and 4% are enrolled in the Atal Pension Yojana
• These workers are considered informal labour, lacking employer-provided social welfare and job security, although some may have accident insurance
• Workers on long shifts average 10.8 hours, while those on short shifts work about 5.2 hours
• A third of the workers have college degrees, and 93% have at least completed 10th standard
• 43.7% of workers are the sole wage earners, and 68.9% are non-migrants who work in their hometowns
• On average, workers stay in their food delivery roles for about 14.1 months, though a third indicate that they have no plans to leave
• In terms of tenure, 28.1% have been working in such platforms for less than a year and 25.7% for 1-2 years, making them pandemic-era hires. Meanwhile, 24.7% started before the pandemic, having worked for over two years
• Food delivery workers work 27.8% more hours than the average urban young male and earn 59.6% more. However, after accounting for fuel expenses, this income advantage narrows to 5%

Incentives

Chart 1 | A look at the reasons given by workers for joining the food delivery platforms (% respondents)

Charts appear incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

Basis of entry

Chart 2 | How did workers enter the food delivery platform? (% respondents)

Job requirements

To work for a food delivery service, a worker is required to own a two-wheeler and know how to use it, have a smartphone, and buy a kit that includes a T-shirt and bags

Old vs new job

Chart 3 | The chart contrasts different facets of employment in food delivery platforms with the prior jobs of those who work long shifts in food delivery

Income and expenditure

Examining the change in a food delivery worker’s income levels due to this new job

Chart 4 | % of long-shift workers who said their real income (new income minus previous job’s monthly income) increased/decreased/remained same

Chart 5 | Year-wise nominal and real monthly income of long-shift food delivery workers (in ₹ thousand)

Chart 6 | Year-wise share of fuel costs for long-shift food delivery workers as a share of their income

Chart 7 | Average monthly earnings, fuel costs, and monthly spending (excluding fuel) for long-shift platform workers

Perceptions about delivery

The charts show the share of respondents who said the following:

Chart 8 | The number of deliveries can be increased if a worker tries harder

Chart 9 | The number of deliveries a worker makes is not in their control

Chart 10 | The worker can improve their rating if they are polite to their customers

Chart 11 | The worker has to spend a lot of time waiting at a restaurant for an order

Methodology

NCAER conducted a phone survey involving 924 food delivery workers from a specific platform. The survey spanned 28 cities, covering Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities across all regions of India—North, South, East, and West. It included both active and inactive or former workers, who had employment durations ranging from less than a year to over two years, working either full-time or part-time.

This report, the first output of a three-part research programme undertaken by NCAER extensively explores the socio-economic implications of workers engaged in the food delivery platform industry, shedding light on their employment patterns, incomes, and work environments. Parts two and three of the research programme reports, to be released subsequently, will evaluate the socio-economic impact of food delivery platforms on restaurants, and their systemic impact on India’s economy and labour markets.

Also read: Gig Workers Bill: reading between the lines

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