SINGAPORE: “Some days are better, some days are worse,” was the sentiment of a Grab delivery rider who took to social media to share a difficult aspect of his job.
In the post, he showed his fellow Singaporean Redditors two screenshots of the meagre pay he will receive for two orders: $2.00 and $1.06, dispelling the notion that food delivery riders have it easy. “Using a throwaway account, this is the reality of working [as a] food delivery [rider] in Singapore,” user Throwawayaccsgroo wrote on the subreddit r/SingaporeRaw on Wednesday (Jan 24).
In the comments section, users explained that food delivery riders used to make good money when the app was still in its early stages of growth; however, with the market becoming saturated, these riders are now finding it difficult to make ends meet.
One user who worked in this industry supported this explanation and claimed that while he could easily make $100 a day in 2021, things have drastically changed to the point where if he makes $80 a day on the weekends, “it is considered good already.”
Another user added that this line of work “should never have been treated as a full time job, just a supplementary.”
Meanwhile, some users opposed the post author, stating that not all orders looked like the ones he showed to the Redditors.
“Why do you show one side of the coin bro? Your first order could be $10, and to accept another is at this rate,” one user wrote.
Less income for food delivery riders?
While this job offered a good and steady income during the pandemic, when most people were confined to their homes and stuck with their food cravings, things are different now.
The dine-in culture has returned; people can now go to their favourite restaurants to eat their favourite food, which means there is less need for these food delivery services.
At the height of their demand, several riders made headlines back then, shocking many people as they reported a sizable monthly income.
For instance, Asia One revealed in April 2020 that a GrabFood rider who worked seven days a week and completed thirty trips daily was earning $5,000 each month, above the median income of $4,534 that year.
Deliveroo also made waves online when it reported that its highest-earning rider raked a whopping $7,095 in one month.
Nowadays, however, these high salaries are becoming more and more difficult to reach.
Jooble reported that the highest income for food delivery riders as of January 2024 is now $3,348, with the lowest income being $2,928.
In addition, the report also stated that the average income in this line of work was around $3,226 per month.