PUBLISHED ONSeptember 08, 2022 10:28 AMByChing Shi JieWhile we often come across accidents involving food delivery riders, have we stopped to think about what happens to them after that?
One delivery rider, who goes by the name Uncle Roger has taken to social media to plead for help, claiming he has been without income since his accident back in June.
A video shared on Wednesday (Sept 7) showed TikTok personality Mave Mason having a conversation with this 61-year-old who is reaching out to Foodpanda for help.
Mason had previously used his winnings from gambling in casinos to help those in need – earning him the moniker online as "Singapore's Robin Hood".
In the three minute clip, Roger shared that the injuries sustained after being hit by another vehicle have rendered him unable to work for months.
"Like my case, I was hit by somebody. It's not me go and hit somebody," he narrated. "So how?"
He claims that when he approached Foodpanda, the delivery platform allegedly told him that he was not covered by insurance.
"When I went to the office, they told me why I did not sign [the forms]. But I did not know about them," Roger recalled, adding that he was unaware of the process to get accident coverage after joining the company.
"For elderly people like us, I don't think most of us will read [the fine print]," Roger said, while citing his inability to read as a reason for missing out on the accident coverage.
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While Roger has said that he remains grateful to Foodpanda for giving elderly folks like him the chance to earn "more than cleaners", he claimed that the company had failed to sufficiently take care of their delivery riders.
"It's a two way benefit, right? They provide work for us and we make money for them," Roger said, while describing his worry about not being able to provide for his family while he recovers from the injuries.
AsiaOne has reached out to Mason for more information.
In the comments, Foodpanda have asked Mason's help to contact Uncle Roger, while clarifying that all of their riders are covered by insurance.
Several netizens shared messages of support to the delivery rider.
"Stay strong. We are all behind you", a netizen said, while others also praised Mason for using social media to highlight Uncle Roger's plight.
Food delivery platforms here such as Grab and Foodpanda does provide insurance coverage to their riders.
Riders working for Foodpanda are able to claim up to $1,000 in medical expenses from an accident and up to $50 of daily hospital cash, according to the food delivery platform's website.
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, Foodpanda confirmed that they are currently in touch with Roger to assist with his insurance claims, while clarifying that they provide all their riders with personal accident insurance coverage – inclusive of third-party liability and personal accident insurance coverage – while they are on shift.
"The safety and well-being of all our riders is a top priority at Foodpanda," a company's spokesperson said.
In past accidents involving food delivery riders, a 45-year-old died after colliding with a lorry at Buangkok Green, in Hougang, on Sept 1.
The lorry driver was later arrested for drink driving and careless driving causing death, the police told AsiaOne then.
And in April, a young newly-wed delivery rider was killed in a road traffic accident that took place along Gambas Avenue.
Jason Tan, a 24-year-old father-to-be, was reportedly hoping to earn an incentive offered to riders and needed to fulfil just 13 more orders to obtain it, the Straits Times reported at that time.
In response to a parliamentary question on Aug 2, the Ministry of Manpower said that they are working with delivery platforms to review work processes to enhance the safety of their workers on the road to prevent accidents.