Yulu a hit among B’luru gig workers; mishaps, misuse too go up

Rachana Ramesh | NT
Bengaluru

Gig workers seem to have taken up the revolution of electric vehicles in Bengaluru, thanks to rental firms such as Yulu that provide micro-mobility solutions in order to help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Prior to the pandemic, a majority of Yulu users fell under the category of office goers. But now, it has around 7,500 bikes across the city and 70-75% of the users are delivery workers.

This is because a large population of gig workers do not have a valid drivers’ licence, due to a varying number of reasons such as lack of address proof. Since, the maximum speed of Yulus are 25 kmph, they do not require a driving licence, in turn helping gig workers escape police harassment along with rising fuel prices.

News Trail found that the increase is also because Yulu has introduced special packages ranging from Rs 180-190 a day for delivery workers, who will be able to cover 70- 80km a day. While the average cost of a Yulu is Rs 2.5/km, it is Rs 4.5/km for petrol-run two-wheelers. They also have battery-swapping stations every 2km in places, such as the Central Business District, Koramangala, Whitefield and Outer Ring Road.

“The prices of fuel constantly rising is the prominent reason for gig workers to opt for Yulu. It also is chosen by migrants who do not possess their own vehicle in the city,” said Vinay Sarathy, President of the United Food Delivery Partners Union.

“Our monthly income has significantly reduced since the pandemic. We now earn Rs 1,000-1,200 a day and spend more than 50% on our expenses. With the package provided by Yulu, we could save a good amount,” he said.

Good, bad numbers

A significant increase in the number of users naturally means the number of cases of mishap and misuse have also increased. Yulu officials told News Trail that they have been witnessing a low rate of undesired customer behaviour with continuous focus and improvement. They started to educate their customers with the right usage and incentivised good behaviour.

“Our approach is a mix of using data and offline plus online interventions. For example, to minimise parking issues, we have created a dense network of Yulu zones which are visible offline as well as on the app for easy accessibility. When someone parks outside the zone, we nudge them about it. We issue penalties to those who don’t comply, unless they have a genuine issue.”

To minimise misuse, they have designated field marshals who have to monitor, spot and prevent bike damages and issues. Non-compliant users are given warnings and if they persist, such users can also be banned from using the app.