While residents of Patna cozy up indoors, ordering hot meals and tea through quick-commerce apps, the delivery workers making this convenience possible are facing a season of intense hardship. The winter fog and plunging temperatures have turned their job into a gruelling battle for survival, marked by shrinking incomes, safety hazards, and a stark lack of basic support.
Frozen Earnings and Invisible Hardships
Contrary to expectations, the cold season does not bring warmer earnings for these riders. Ramlal, a 43-year-old delivery partner, has witnessed the industry's growth in Patna over two years and states that winter exposes its toughest realities. He reveals that delivery volumes often drop during winter, except for brief festive spikes in December. "Our earnings depend entirely on the number of deliveries we make," Ramlal explains. "It's gruelling to spend entire nights on the road during cold waves, only to realise at the end of the shift that we have earned less than a basic minimum wage."
For many, there is no shelter from the cold. Workers are often seen huddling on roadsides or resting on their bikes outside dark stores, waiting for the next order to flash on their phone screens. This prolonged exposure leads to frequent illnesses, adding to their woes.
The Precarious Balance of Work and Studies
The strain is particularly acute for younger riders juggling education and employment. Uttam Kumar, aged 19, is preparing for his Intermediate exams while delivering orders to pay his rent. He details a base pay of around Rs 10 per kilometre, with occasional night surge incentives of Rs 10-20. However, he points out that the rules for these incentives differ for part-time and full-time workers. "Even with these extra few rupees, the math rarely adds up when orders are scarce, and the monthly rent is due," Uttam says, highlighting the constant financial pressure.
Safety Risks and Hidden Costs Borne by Workers
Winter also unveils how operational costs are pushed onto the workforce. Sachin, a 17-year-old board exam student who joined a platform just a week ago, expected some provision for the cold. "I thought they would at least provide a jacket for winter, but I soon learned that even for a company jacket, we have to pay Rs 300 out of our own pockets," he shares. For riders like him, this sum represents a day's food money, forcing them to rely on old, tattered sweaters for warmth.
Safety becomes a major concern as dense fog blankets the city. Nikhil, 27, describes how poor visibility forces riders to slow down or stop completely. However, the app's delivery timer does not pause for weather, and customer patience wears thin. "When we prioritise our lives and follow safety protocols, we face backlash from customers for being late. Those poor ratings then directly hit our future earnings," Nikhil states, outlining a system that penalises caution.
The story of Patna's delivery riders this winter is a sobering look into the human cost of instant gratification. As the city orders in comfort, these workers navigate a perilous landscape of cold, fog, and financial insecurity, with little protection from the platforms they serve.
