COIMBATORE: Facilities established by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to provide gig workers a place to rest between deliveries are reportedly lying neglected, with some of the centres remaining locked and others showing signs of poor maintenance.
Gig workers, who spend several hours on the road delivering, courier, parcels, food, groceries and online retail orders, have urged the civic body to restore the facilities and ensure that they remain accessible to beneficiaries.
The CCMC had established more than five resting hubs at different locations in the city, with each facility costing around Rs 16.82 lakh. The centres were designed to provide gig workers with basic amenities such as restrooms, air conditioning, charging points, free Wi-Fi, drinking water and dedicated parking spaces.
The facilities, which were thrown open to workers in October last year, were intended to provide a safe and comfortable space where delivery personnel could take a break between assignments.
However, workers have complained that several of the facilities have been poorly maintained for the past four months after the regime change in the state, with some centres remaining closed. They have expressed concern that an initiative intended to support workers who spend long hours outdoors is gradually becoming unusable.
"We spend most of our working hours on the road, often without a proper place to sit down or even drink water. When such a facility is available, it should be kept open and maintained properly. It is disappointing to see some of the centres poorly maintained and closed," said R Muthu Kumar, a food delivery executive.
Another worker S Poornima said accessibility was also an issue with one of the facilities. "The centre near the Sanganoor channel junction is not convenient for many of us. Shifting the container facility to Mettupalayam Main Road would make it much easier for delivery workers to access it while they are on duty. As the facility is located near the banks, several anti-social elements have been misusing the centre and locking it up," she said.
Workers said the facilities could be particularly useful during the afternoon heat and between long delivery trips, provided the amenities remain functional.
They have urged the CCMC to inspect all the rest hubs, carry out necessary repairs and ensure regular maintenance. They also sought the reopening of locked facilities and relocation of the Sanganoor facility to a more accessible location.
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja said, "Some of the centres are being operated and maintained by the labour department, while some of them are being maintained by the CCMC. The ones maintained by the labour department are left without proper maintenance. So, we have now instructed our sanitary officials to take over all the centres in their respective wards and maintain them regularly. Regarding the resting centre near the Sanganoor Canal, we shall check the feasibility and shift it to a newer location on the Mettupalayam Road soon."