THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: What began as a road safety intervention by the motor vehicles department (MVD) against the ultra-fast delivery services of platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato, BigBasket, and Swiggy in December has now escalated into a nationwide curb by the Union labour ministry.
Officials with the MVD and the labour department said the Union government’s directive to halt “10-minute delivery” claims would strengthen their efforts to ensure road safety and provide a better work environment for gig workers, most of whom are youngsters.
In the third week of December, the MVD, alarmed by repeated instances of rash and negligent driving by two-wheeler delivery personnel, issued notices to online-delivery companies, directing them to follow road safety rules and make them part of their corporate policies.
“It was the fastest result on a road safety matter in the Month of Road Safety,” said Transport Commissioner C Nagaraju. He said the department would closely follow up on compliance on the part of the companies and dark stores.
They were given 15 days to streamline their delivery time lines and align their safety policies with existing road safety regulations. The commissioner warned that failure to comply within the stipulated time frame would result in further legal action against the firms.
According to officials, the road safety initiatives in Kerala catch the attention of policy makers as the state accounts for 10% of the total road accidents in the country.
Gig and platform workers staged a one-day strike on December 31 and one of their demands was to end the delivery of items in 10 minutes, citing accidents and health issues.
The state’s labour department, which has been trying to make interventions to ensure better work environment for the gig workers, plans further intervention based on the Union government’s directive. “We are awaiting the directive from the Union labour ministry regarding the ultra-fast delivery practices.
Nevertheless we will hold discussions with others departments to curb unhealthy practices if there are complaints,” a labour department official said. She said that the ‘unseen’ employer in the segment has created challenges in making effective intervention in a subject which is in the concurrent list.
The state is drafting the Kerala State Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Bill, 2024. It aims to create a legal framework forthe rights of gig workers. The bill is under the purview of the law department.