Many delivery boys use their own vehicles on the job. This is illegal, say RTO officials

Bike riders bearing huge delivery bags on their backs or with large boxes fitted on their motorcycle chassis are a familiar sight in the city. With a steady income to be made by working as a delivery man, several thousands have signed up for the job and use their own vehicles for the purpose.

However, according to Transport Department officials, this is not legal. The use of privately registered two-wheelers for commercial purposes has been going on for sometime now but it is now under the scanner of the Regional Transport Office. “There have been drives in the past to stop the spread of such practices. They cannot use personal vehicles for selling or delivering goods,” said Narendra Holkar, Joint Commissioner for Transport. The rules clearly state that non-transport vehicles cannot be used to move goods or for commercial purposes.

A few days ago, the department had clarified its stand on bike taxis and deemed them illegal. In the coming days, a serious crackdown is expected on bike taxis operating in the city. During this time, bikes being used for delivery of goods are also expected to be stopped.

According to officials, as of now there is no specific class of registration for two-wheelers used for commercial purposes like delivery of goods. However, the issue has been largely ignored by the traffic police and the RTO, and instances of cases booked have been few and far between, that too only when the goods being carried are too conspicuous.

“The usual problem with such vehicles is that they are found parked on the kerbside or in no-parking spots. We fine them when we see violations but no specific drives have been conducted. There is no classification of offences for such vehicles,” said M.A. Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

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Not an easy life, say employees

Staff Reporter

Being a delivery executive in a big city like Bengaluru is not an easy task. Employees have to deal with endless traffic jams, incomplete addresses, irate customers and long traffic signals. With salaries that barely cover their cost of living and the pressure to meet targets, it is not uncommon for delivery boys to break the rules to meet expectations.

“We have to start deliveries at 9 a.m. and work during the noon hours, where there is bad traffic everywhere. People still want their deliveries on time and most days, we try and avoid breaking rules. But it is not always possible,” said Ramesh, a delivery executive with an online retail site.

The starting salaries of bike delivery executives range from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000, depending on their experience and ownership of a vehicle. Having a bike is mandatory for most companies as they don’t own a fleet of vehicles.

Added to the mental pressures is the physical stress of carrying a bag full of costly items. The height of the bags often exceeds the height of the executive. “When riding, we are literally tied to this bag. If we fall or have to jump from the bike, it is simply not possible without being held back by the bag,” another executive said.

It is no surprise then that they often break traffic signals. “I live close to a restaurant which offers home delivery. I see their delivery men break the traffic signal near my house every day. It is very risky as they wade into oncoming traffic and clear the signal without any care for vehicles approaching from the opposite side,” said Rishi Bose, a resident of Old Airport Road.

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GOVT. CRACKDOWN

Earlier this week, cab aggregators Ola and Uber announced the launch of bike taxi services, a move that prompted the Transport Department to issue a statement that such services were illegal. The move also led to the Regional Transport Office cracking down on ride-share models being operated by aggregators and in the past week, officials have seized bike taxis and a few ride-share cars for violation of permit conditions.

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BIKE AMBULANCES EXEMPTED

Bike ambulances which are operational in the State are allowed to function as they are government-owned vehicles being used for public service. The exemption has been allowed by means of a government notification on the same, officials said. There are 18 bike ambulances operating in Bengaluru.

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BIKE BOYS

* Monthly salary: Rs. 13,000 – Rs. 15,000

* Sectors employing them:

Online retail

Food and beverage

Electronics

Communications

Banks and financial institutions

* Total two-wheelers in city: 41,49,622

Rame Gowda, Transport Commissioner: They (delivery bikes) are also operating without proper permits, like the bike taxis, and are not legally allowed here.