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Food delivery persons in Pune bear brunt of rising fuel prices
PUNE Rising fuel prices have taken a toll on food delivery persons who are now demanding an increase in commission
PUNE Rising fuel prices have taken a toll on food delivery persons who are now demanding an increase in commission. Since March this year, fuel prices have increased by more than 20% with petrol selling for close to ₹120 per litre in Pune and diesel trading in the retail market at ₹102.67 per litre.
Due to the trickle-down effect of this steep rise in fuel prices, delivery persons are facing the pinch with a substantial part of their income being spent on fuel. So in addition to the sweltering heat and overall rising prices, food aggregator delivery persons now have to worry about rising fuel prices. Saurabh, 21, who has been working as a delivery person for the past two-and-a-half years for one such aggregator, told Hindustan Times, “Roughly 1/4th of my income is being spent on refueling. I am now considering switching to a CNG vehicle for the better mileage it provides.” But the problem for Saurabh and others like him is that even CNG hasn’t been spared the price hike. While it was selling for ₹62.20, its price has now increased to ₹73.
Chandan Kumar who works for another aggregator in the city has a similar story to tell. He told this newspaper, “My daily livelihood is being impacted because of the high fuel price.” Saurabh and Chandan are not the only ones. There are a lot of people who work part-time as food aggregator delivery persons. While the prices that consumers pay have not gone up, the prices of fuel are rising. “I used to earn nearly ₹600 to ₹700 by delivering 20 orders through the day till last year. Today, much of my earning is spent on petrol and what is left in hand by the end of the day is a pittance,” said Sarthak Pawar, who delivers food in the Katraj area.
Delivery persons are of the view that even a slight decrease in fuel prices will prove to be hugely beneficial for them. Petroleum companies have not changed petrol and diesel prices since last month and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been urging states such as Maharashtra and West Bengal to cut the value added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel. In Maharashtra, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar have previously refused to cut down on VAT citing the poor revenue of the state.
