When the concept of delivering food directly at the comfort of your own home was first introduced, it became an instant success. The convenience and ease at which one could order food from their favorite restaurants and have it be delivered directly to your door step was a luxury that could not be overlooked.  In 2019, the market size of the global online food delivery sector was 107.44 billion U.S. dollars, and in 2020 this figure grew to $115. 07 billion! Since the onset of the global pandemic, this figure is expected to grow to $126.91 billion in 2021. However, at what cost does this profit come?

The global online food delivery industry is growing rapidly and is expected to continue to grow! Since the pandemic has boosted the need for home deliveries, delivery drivers have been the victim of several abuses from restaurants and customers. As the number of home deliveries sky-rocketed in the past two years, the number of accidents and incidents sky-rocketed as well. We decided to investigate and ask these workers about their experiences in this industry in the U.A.E and how the pandemic affected their livelihood. 

With the onset of the pandemic and extreme weather conditions, the comfort of getting your favourites delivered to your door have grown tenfold.  Since these apps are so high in demand, they also employ a lot of delivery men and drivers. As competition rises between different companies, the race to deliver food warm, safe, and fast becomes cut-throat. Whilst companies strive to attract consumers with low delivery costs and better service, an opportunity cost arises – that of the drivers.

Drivers race around the city to deliver hot food on time while posing a risk to their safety! Most of the employees of these companies are provided with a limited wage, bed space, and transportation with few other fringe benefits which prove to be a demotivating factor that affects productivity.

Over the past week, we wandered through the streets of Dubai and interviewed delivery drivers from the two biggest delivery companies in the country.  We were eager to find out more about their stories and the actual delivery cost of their hard work and sweat.

All the drivers were a pleasure to interview, their politeness and willingness to answer all our questions helped give us a clearer picture on their experiences. 

The pandemic has affected everyone’s livelihood – delivery drivers are no exception. Most drivers agreed that there has been a huge change with the fear of risk to their safety and that of the customers. They are now all vaccinated and reassured us about the necessary safety precautions taken to work during these trying

All of the drivers assured us that they had been vaccinated as it was mandated by their companies! times, something they have all very quickly adapted to. However, despite the pandemic, they have shifts ranging from 6 to 12 hours a day with only an hour’s break. The drivers agree that they do have the liberty to take as many orders as they like provided they race to different ends of the city to meet the maximum delivery time. One driver we interviewed was particularly frustrated about the change of deliveries being within a certain zone/area to deliveries at the edge/outskirts of the city. 

“Before they used to give us a specific area or maybe a zone, within which we would pick up and deliver orders, but now we run from end to end trying to give the orders in time,” one driver said. This serves as a crucial reminder to us customers to be more considerate and empathetic to the drivers when our order is sometimes 10-minutes late. The drivers have to dash against the clock to serve you piping hot food! 

The merciless and unforgiving heat has led to skin problems for these drivers! Despite this, all the drivers delightedly explained their exchanges with their supervisors and customers. They reassured us on the measures taken by the delivery companies to help them in the harsh Dubai summers, including providing them with jackets that when drenched in water prove to be a cool relief, and gloves to protect them from getting sunburnt. However, the summers are merciless and unforgiving which has led to skin problems for these young drivers. Some of them showed us the glaring red marks on their hands. 

Luckily, more customers are taking note of their plight and have decided to call for action. Collectively, there is a consensus that the work of food delivery is very exhausting and can be an ordeal, especially in these pandemic summers. A lot of customers agreed that drivers follow safety protocol and maintain decorum whilst delivering food.

“As consumers, I think we need to be kinder and more understanding as these drivers go through a lot to serve us. We should also request companies to take further action by giving workers flexible hours and longer breaks to improve their health,” a regular customer remarked. Indeed.  As customers, we can use our voices and raise concerns if we have any. If restaurants and companies are treating these workers unfairly then we need to hold them accountable while maintaining rules and following the law. Also it is important for us to remain courteous, friendly and patient with our delivery drivers. 

Drivers remain optimistic and claim that almost all their interactions with customers remain pleasant! Ultimately, all these drivers request is for customers to offer a glass of water to help them get through the summer. They also request restaurants to be more considerate when they wait to collect the orders as small acts of kindness can go a long way . The delivery drivers are extremely thankful for all the pleasant interactions with the customers and remain optimistic for the future of the online food delivery industry.