Missile Attacks Are Overwhelming the Gulf While Delivery Drivers Are Still on the Roads
Amid regional missile strikes, delivery drivers continue working to supply food, medicine, and essentials. Apps offer limited safety guidance while workers face ongoing risks.
Dubai: Delivery drivers in the Gulf are still working despite missile attacks and drone strikes in the region.
Apps like Uber’s delivery service pay drivers for each pickup, drop-off, and mile traveled plus tips. This means saying no to orders cuts their money directly.
Some cities also give drivers a per-minute rate. Drivers who refuse trips lose pay right away.
Municipal workers say they have not gotten safety tips from their company about missiles or drone attacks happening now.
A spokesperson for the delivery services said the company talks often with drivers and tells them to follow official safety rules. The company says drivers can stop working anytime by logging out of the app.
If service stops, drivers will get paid for lost earnings.
Delivery apps bring food, medicine, and other important things to people staying home. Careem saw more people ordering items like water, rice, pasta, and fruits.
The UN International Labour Organization calls delivery drivers essential workers. They help make sure people get food, medicine, and daily needs during emergencies.
During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, delivery drivers were also called essential because people couldn’t go out easily. Many countries listed which services must keep running.
The idea of essential workers has existed for a long time. During Europe’s plague, some jobs like digging graves were essential. When Spanish Flu hit, growing rice was important to avoid hunger.
Today, essential services help keep normal life going and prevent panic buying. Most risks are carried by workers who moved from other countries.