THTalksBengaluru: Seemant Kumar Singh says employing agency to be held responsible if gig workers are found violating rules

Mr. Jindal
2 Min Read

If a gig worker is involved in any crime or legal violation, the employing agency will also be held responsible, said City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh.

The growing number of traffic violations and law and order cases involving delivery persons prompted the Bengaluru City Police (BCP) to convene a meeting with food aggregators and firms employing gig workers. There have been close to 70,000 violations by them, he said.

Meeting with employers

Speaking at #THTalksBengaluru, The Hindu’s interactive programme on Monday, Mr. Singh said, “During our weekly meetings with Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), where we analyse crime patterns, we noticed a trend of delivery partners breaking the law. We convened a meeting with the stakeholder agencies and presented them with data and videos showing their gig workers violating laws.”

He added that many agencies fail to conduct proper background checks before hiring gig workers, which contributes to the problem. With only about 10% of gig workers registered, the city police have also discussed the issue with the Labour Department to raise awareness.

Small bikes

Mr. Singh also highlighted that delivery partners often use small electric vehicles, which currently fall outside the purview of traffic regulations. However, he noted that such vehicles often create traffic issues and encroach upon footpaths, endangering pedestrians.

Mr. Singh stated that when gig workers rent scooters for deliveries, the vehicles are essentially performing duties for the hiring firm, so any violation involving the hired vehicle will be attributed to the firm as well.

SOP to be formulated

Police sources also said the city police have directed stakeholder firms to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlining expected behaviour and compliance rules for gig workers.

Mr. Singh concluded by emphasising that businesses must ensure safety and operate strictly within the ambit of the law and the facilities extended to them.

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