Pune: Monsoon showers in the city are slowing quick commerce deliveries, with waterlogged roads, traffic congestion and poor visibility making it difficult for delivery partners to adhere to the 10-20 minutes timeline.Wanowrie resident Shilpa Dhariwal said, “Small orders are taking 45-50 minutes for delivery. The condition of the orders is also bad. The bag I received was wet and some of the items damaged.”Farida Sheikh, a resident of Baner, said, “There is usually a minimum order of Rs100 for free delivery. On Monday, they were giving free delivery only on orders of Rs399-Rs499. There is also a delivery surge fee applicable. “Riders have had their own share of challenges to face. They have been navigating flooded stretches, potholes and traffic. This has led to temporary order delays and fewer deliveries per shift.Delivery partner at a quick commerce platform Rajendra Pawar said, “It has become so difficult to make deliveries in heavy rain. We are taking 40-45 minutes to deliver every order. It is impacting our earnings too.”Nilesh Jadhav, another delivery partner, said, “My cellphone fell in almost knee-deep water when I was trying to look for a delivery address. It has stopped working now. Despite putting orders in waterproof delivery containers, some amount of water trickles in. Customers are making complaints over the matter.”Partners also said that despite the heavy rain there is no extra incentive to make deliveries. “In the rains, the most common issue that delivery partners face is damage to their bikes due to the water and also parcel damage. They are facing many customer complaints as a result,” said Keshav Kshirsagar, president, Indian Gig Workers Front.Delivery partners are also pointing to rising maintenance costs, with prolonged exposure to water increasing the risk of bike breakdowns, punctures and electrical issues. “If the rains continue like this, there will surely be damage to the bike. Last year, I had to spend a lot of money on repairs because of breakdowns,” said Satish Ghuge, a delivery executive.“There are some customers who are understanding and even offer extra tip if the delivery is made during heavy rain. However, mostly, ours is a thankless job — no extra incentives and customers firing at us if the parcel is even slightly damp,” said a delivery executive of a food delivery platform.Neha Kumar, a resident of Fatimanagar, said, “I tried ordering a couple of times, but it kept saying store is under maintenance or quick delivery paused due to high demand. It seems that there are lesser delivery executives and surging orders.”Some customers are also of the view that the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables are much higher due to the rain. “There is surge pricing on fresh foods because of the high demand. Even supply of these must have been affected,” said Dhara Tibrewal, a resident of Bavdhan.
