PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Delivery riders in Doon working for platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy have opposed the Transport department’s planned enforcement against two-wheelers using white number plates for commercial deliveries, saying that the move could put their livelihoods at risk. The riders said that converting their vehicles to commercial registration and obtaining yellow number plates would mean additional expenses, which many of them may not be able to afford.
Rider Ritik Kumar Jain said that the proposed requirement would be difficult for those dependent on delivery work to meet their daily expenses. “I am a college student and my parents sell vegetables. I have two sisters and I do delivery work to pay my college fees. I work around 12 hours a day and earn Rs 500 to Rs 600. After paying for petrol, I am left with around Rs 300 to Rs 400,” he said. He said that some riders could be forced to quit if the requirement is implemented. “If we cannot continue, we may have to deactivate our IDs or look for some other work. Otherwise, we will have to change our number plates,” he said.
Another rider Arun Kumar said that thousands of delivery workers could be affected by the move. “If this happens, we will have no option. What other work will we do? We may have to work as labourers. Getting a yellow number plate will also involve additional expenses,” he said. Kumar said that he was the sole earning member of his family and earned around Rs 700 to Rs 800 a day, from which he also had to pay for fuel.
Sharing similar views, rider Vipin Singh said that the proposed requirement would increase their expenses without changing the nature of their work. “We have found work and our households are running because of it. Why does the department want us to get yellow number plates. The work will remain the same. We have already completed the required formalities. If we leave this work, people like us may have no option other than daily-wage labour,” he said.
