HYDERABAD: In a rude shock to many delivery agents from various firms, police personnel on Saturday, as part of enforcing a stricter lockdown, stopped many of them, seized their vehicles, beat them up, and forced them to walk back home.
Delivery agents from Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, Zomato, Grofers, and other firms were stopped at checkpoints across the city. To make things worse for the agents, their employers stopped answering their phone calls after the incidents.
“The police told us that we can only collect our vehicles by paying a Rs 1,000 fine, that too after 5 pm,” said Feroz Ahmed, a Zomato delivery agent, while holding a food parcel that was to be delivered.
“Now I have to pay the fine, I have already paid the restaurant for the food that I collected, and I also have to pay a penalty of `300 to my company for not delivering the parcel,” the agent said.
Another delivery agent, who was walking back home after the police seized his vehicle, lamented “My family is in dire need of money. I just joined Swiggy today and already my account balance is negative. I also have to pay the penalty to collect my vehicle.”
According to the police, many food delivery agents are not following Covid protocols during deliveries and are taking advantage of the permission they have to deliver. Some of them are accompanied by their friends riding pillion with them, while some are found roaming on the roads even while not delivering food.
The police said they have received instructions from higher-ups to restrict the movement of food delivery boys. “The government should take stern action against firms whose delivery agents were not informed about the new restrictions,” said Shaik Salauddin, president of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union.