Delhi gig workers report widespread safety hazards on roads and extreme weather
A new survey of Delhi’s gig-economy couriers and drivers finds that most feel unsafe on the city’s streets and lack adequate safety support.
The nationwide survey released Thursday examined food, grocery, ride-hailing, e-commerce and personal-care gig workers, focusing on Delhi data. Around 75% of Delhi respondents said they feel unsafe on the road, while only a small fraction feel safe. More than 80% have experienced near-misses with other vehicles and over 50% report injuries caused by potholes or speeding traffic; over a third have been involved in actual accidents.
Workers often put in 49-70 hours per one outlet and 30% report customer-related harassment or violence. Training is virtually absent, with 97% receiving none or insufficient instruction, and only 1% saying their platform offers comprehensive safety resources. Health support is scarce, as 92% lack insurance or have not claimed it, and 81% doubt platforms’ ability to address safety complaints. Extreme weather conditions—heat, cold, rain—affect 98% of workers, but 89% say platforms have no weather-related policies, forcing them to adjust routes, gear or hours, which can reduce earnings.
Why it matters
Unsafe conditions for gig workers threaten their health and highlight gaps in platform responsibility and urban labor protections.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report the same survey on Indian gig workers’ risks, but centrist coverage stresses the dangerous road environment and the narrative of unsafe streets, while right-leaning coverage foregrounds detailed statistics on heat exposure, injuries, insurance gaps and training deficiencies.
CENTER
Centrist coverage frames gig work in Delhi as a high-risk, hazardous workplace, highlighting unsafe roads and the feeling of insecurity among workers.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the survey as exposing acute occupational hazards, emphasizing quantitative data on heat, accidents, lack of insurance and insufficient training.
The right emphasises
- Extreme heat impacted 96.57% of the 778 respondents
- 62.2% reporting near-misses and 27.5% sustaining injuries
- over half lack health insurance (62.2%) and accident insurance (44.2%)
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