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-   -   A menace on the road: Food delivery executives (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/204473-menace-road-food-delivery-executives-3.html)

They (food delivery guys and cabs) park and drive\ride as they like - anywhere and everywhere. Absolutely no regard or respect to the other persons' vehicle. If they swipe or bump into your vehicle, they'd say "nothing happened.

Rules are for people like us; not for them. Looks like we have to learn to live with them.

Again disagree, harsh working conditions are no excuse for breaking law.
Would you let off these people if they cause an accident/damage your car?

I beg to differ.
Food delivery executives are not a menace on the roads.

What the real menace is, in general, most of the 2-wheeler riding population.
Who ride the vehicles with absolutely no regard towards the traffic rules, right of way, common sense, and other's as well as own live's safety.

Perhaps your city did not carry enough 2-wheeler traffic, and the sudden advent of Food delivery apps has flooded your city streets with an increased two wheeler traffic. I have lived in Pune for quite some time now, which carries a higher percent of 2-wheeler traffic, and the way it is ridden: almost every 2-wheeler is a menace to others on the road.

But don't single them out.
GENERAL INDISCIPLINE and SCANT REGARD TO LAWS and OTHER PEOPLE's INCONVENIENCE that is ingrained in ALL INDIANs. (People who have visited the "first world" and marveled at their traffic sense would agree)

The only reason why such high percentage of "menace" doesn't exist for 4-wheelers is because:
1) their vehicles are incapable of pulling off antics (physics plays the spoiled sport)
2) fear of getting thrashed because the larger vehicle is assumed to be the perpetrator by the mob


Wow, I didn't read your post before my analysis, but pretty much the same observation and reasoning as mine.
The problem is Indians on 2-wheelers taking it very casually like a walk in the park.

Certainly not, harsh working conditions are only cause and they are not entitled to break law. Not just these I would not let off BMTC or Uber drive if they cause damage to my car. What i don't understand is how different are these riders different than regular two wheelers or other services. Recent accidents to my stationary car came from a lawyer and another a engineering manager at MNC. Also with these executives my job becomes easy to know which company I can hold responsible for the menace.
To me regular motorists are bigger menace than these executives.

You are right to some extent. But as others have mentioned, they providing services doesn't mean that they have to break the laws for it. Coming to riders being penalized for late delivery, I think that rule has changed now. At least I see that in Swiggy's T&C. I think the same is applicable for others too.

If we have to accept reality, then there won't be any need for threads like traffic, accidents, etc. We ourselves have cursed BMTC's, Ubers/Olas, 2 wheelers, cars everyone in those threads for driving irresponsibly(signal jumping, talking on the phone, etc). No one should ride/drive in that way even the service delivery guys.

Exactly, the reason for this discussion is that the company these delivery executives represent can instill some sort of discipline in their riding behaviour.

I have already forwarded this thread to my connects in the higher ups at Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo.

When more people talk about this nuisance these companies can take action against this behaviour.

My point is, if these companies can track and reward delivery executives for delivering under a certain timeline, what's stop them from offering a similar reward and incentive scheme for following rules and be a role model for other motorists?

Remember traffic also follows herd mentality.
No body stops at a red light until the first vehicle stops at the signal.
If the first vehicle stops behind zebra line, other vehicles at least make an effort to stay behind them.
If no vehicles drive on the wrong way, no one will follow them from behind.

As respectable companies, these steps can and should be implemented as part of their rider/driver behaviour programs.

If I find any of these companies' implementing these schemes, I will become their loyal customer and will be happy to even subscribe to their loyalty programs. Offering discounts is not the only way to gain and retain a customer.

Most days around lunch time the road outside my window becomes a hub of sorts for Zepto delivery agents. I prefer to call them 'agents' because there is a definite James Bondian type quality to these daredevils. They drive up on the wrong side of the road, into oncoming traffic without a care in the world. Accidents, minor and major do happen but that doesn't dissuade them from taking a U-turn which is only 50 meters ahead.

Now I suggested over Twitter to Mumbai's Commissioner of Police that some sort of counselling/fine/arrest might be arranged for the company executives who have hired and let loose these misguided missiles on hapless commuters. I have yet to receive any response from the venerable gentleman, or from the company.

My thinking is this - the agents are simply doing their jobs. It is incumbent on the people who hire them to lay down the SOPs for them. In this case traffic violations and accompanying legal troubles should include the company boss who is putting these guys to work. Poor people with insane job expectations (10minute delivery times?) will be tempted to take the shorter way. It doesn't help that most of them are young men with a natural propensity to daredevilry.
What do you think?
The easy argument, which many might be tempted to make, would be to say the driver has a license and therefore any violations should be between him and the RTO. But do you think that is fair? Shouldn't companies have some sort of stake in the game they have set up?

People do not care about paying fines, so such people should be made to wait at traffic chowki for 2-3 hours. Time is money, so this is a better punishment in my view rather than any fine.

However, it will be difficult to ensure that the company will not be ultimately passing the penalty amount onto the delivery persons.

Of course, companies are responsible for what their employees/contractors are up to. Large corporations take it very seriously, especially non-Indian top brass.

I have managed to fight a big multinational company for the parking menace of their contractor. (documented in the forum). I just got hold of top executives of the company and sent an email with video proof. The next day their APAC facilities head was on a call with me and the local team to discuss the issue and find a solution.

But, I am not sure if such an approach will work with Indian companies. The start-ups don't have a reputation to maintain and the giants have muscle power. And most of the top brass and even employees have a don't care attitude, which unfortunately is an Indian trait. Unless there is a big uproar or public shaming or a sensational incident, they are unlikely to bother.

I think we are a bit harsh on the Food delivery folks. This behaviour is bound to happen on anyone who drives a vehicle whose earnings are tied to the number of trips they can complete within a stipulated time. You put a man in a situation where he has to choose between keeping his family fed and obeying the rules, let's just say that most of the people in that demographic are NOT in the higher stages of moral development.

Private bus drivers, Call center cabbies, auto rickhaw drivers - It spreads the entire spectrum. Till now two wheelers were out of the commercial segment, so they were not so visible, and we used to complain about cabbies (link) Autorikshaws (link) and private buses (link)

In my assessment and others may differ the root cause lies with us the eventual customer who wants or demands delivery in XX minutes. That XX minutes is always 25% short of what safe & disciplined riding could achieve.

At the next level of root cause we have companies who've unscrupulously termed these young men hungry metaphorically and literally, for a job that feeds their family as 'self-employed' people so that the companies can avoid the responsibility of the traffic violations, injury, and penalty for late delivery. With due respect to the likes of Dunzo, Swiggy, Zomato etc this is exploitation of the poor and unemployed who are desperate to support their families. A modern form of indentured labour.

The rider or delivery executive is only at the third level of responsibility of this madness. But as he is the last link in the chain, the proverbial tip of the arrow, he gets the blame. His ability to put food on the table for his family rests on his delivery timings - what else should we expect him to do but break rules and drive rashly.

If we as customers were okay with a 40 minute delivery of our favourite food instead of 20 minutes this problem would diminish.

This is where the government in a civilized country is expected to step in and bring some sanity. But we are a "chalta hai" country. MNCs also have been known to make exceptions to their high standards on the advice of local management in line with, "local operating conditions".

I expect the delivery apps will now add a "donate" button for hospital and insurance expenses with a full page story and video on some ex-deliveryperson who was injured (or even died) on the job. I don't expect anything better from these companies.