Introduction
In today’s world, given the development of communication technology and the COVID-2019 pandemic, food delivery services have become very popular. The main advantage of such services is simplicity, saving time, and lack of contact, which is important in the context of the new virus. These services have become extremely popular in Australia, but there are also problems that have come along with them. We need to analyze what rights and responsibilities food delivery workers have, as well as what factors affect the safety of such work.
The Main Problems in This Area
The main feature of such work is that employees spend most of their time on the road. Often the main means of transportation is the bicycle, because it is economical and environmentally friendly at the same time. However, the road is a dangerous place, and logistics are not always properly coordinated. From this follows the main problem of such work, namely the increase in the number of victims of accidents on the road (Swanston, 2021). In 2020, for example, there were a large number of deaths and casualties of food delivery workers on the road due to accidents (Zhang et al., 2021). All this suggests that the government and services must improve the safety of this work and review some aspects of urban logistics so that it becomes safe for everyone.
After the number of casualties was recorded and published, the development of ways to improve the situation began. The first solution, the most effective at first sight, was drones delivering food and medicine by air. In April 2020, the Wing service expanded its product range. Amid the growing demand for medicines, they began to be delivered by drones (Zhang, et al., 2021).
In addition, the company included toilet paper in the delivery, which has become the most popular goods among people who are forced to sit at home amid the pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus (Zhang, et al., 2021). As written in the April 9, 2020 issue of Business Insider, citing a representative of Wing, in the previous two weeks, the service has processed more than one thousand orders (Zhang, et al., 2021). It is available in three regions: in the U.S. state of Virginia, in Finland and in Australia.
The next point is the relevance of this type of delivery. Wing spokeswoman Alexa Dennett told reporters about the “significant” growth in demand for drone delivery services (Zhou, 2021). In Virginia, for example, the volume of orders has greatly exceeded expectations. As for the most popular items purchased by users, they included prepared soups, baby food, Italian pasta and over-the-counter medications, and toilet paper (Zhou, 2021). In addition, drones have begun delivering baked goods and coffee, and in Australia they are also being used to deliver goods from warehouses to stores. Drones deliver packages at speeds of over 100 km/h, which is the main advantage.
Nevertheless, this solution proved to be imperfect, and it had to be temporarily abandoned. In September 2021, it was reported that bird attacks forced Google to stop delivering goods by drone in Australia. Wing’s service was faced with its devices being attacked by crows guarding their nests (Zhou, 2021). Multiple reports of crows attacking drones prompted the company to announce a temporary suspension of the service for subsequent innovations. Demand for delivery increased due to pandemic restrictions, and the number of flying drones increased, which interfered with the bird ecosystem. So despite its relevance and effectiveness, the project had to be put on hold.
One of Canberra’s meth-addicted residents caught the birds’ struggle with drones on camera, setting a precedent. Ornithologist Neil Hermes said that the birds are protecting their own nests from potential threats, so they are not dangerous (Zhou, 2021). The point is that it makes more sense to build routes that do not affect the birds’ habitats and their nests, rather than exterminate them, damaging the microhabitat.
The chief pilot said that the main vector of the company’s development in this area would be this problem, or rather the search for alternative ways of drones activity (Healey, 2021). There are a number of tasks to be done in the Wing that will be aimed at rescuing their aircraft and not harming the birds (Zhou, 2021). According to experienced pilots, who regularly encounter birds circling near the drone, any special super-sophisticated piloting skills are not required. Wing specialists need to be thoroughly familiar with the terrain in which the flights take place. If there are a lot of birds in the area, it is necessary to work out a plan of action in case they attack, because birds have almost no competitors in the sky.
Innovation and State Control
Then the following alternatives were proposed to improve the situation of food delivery workers. State laws must protect, first and foremost, the rights and safety of citizens. It should be emphasized that the employees of delivery services are also citizens, so the government must pay attention to the situation of victims and reduce their number as much as possible through the introduction of restrictions or training processes.
The first and foremost is the introduction of workwear elements into the general employee outfit, which includes, for example, reflective lines (Zhou, 2021). This will help drivers to detect workers in time and avoid accidents. The next important step is to give quality, new and safe vehicles to each worker (Crosswell, 2020). It is important to understand that delivery workers have a right to safe working conditions, and they must be obeyed by management.
The next step should be to consider the introduction of new items in the legislation regulating this sphere. The main innovation should be the introduction of compulsory primary training and qualification of employees at the time of employment (Food delivery drivers, 2021). This will ensure the proper training of workers, who will be potentially ready for unforeseen and dangerous situations. Finally, the assignment of full road user status to such workers is also related to this, so that car drivers will be more attentive to such subjects (Rabe, 2021). For their part, food delivery workers are also obliged to comply with all traffic rules.
At the same time, it should not be forgotten about nature by controlling the damage to the environment. For example, delivery by drone is a really safe counterpart, but it is necessary to respect the life of birds, thus developing new routes or mechanics. In particular, ornithology and geography professionals can be involved in the process, who will calculate the location of the birds and take this data into account in the mapping (Davies, 2020). In any case, the basic idea is that this area should not harm anyone, but on the contrary, it should be as beneficial as possible. The policy of ignoring any factors is inherently wrong and can lead to negative consequences.
Conclusion
In today’s world and pandemic, food delivery services are an undeniably new and effective method of social negotiation. At the same time, it should not be ignored that workers are first and foremost human beings to be cared for and respected. The death or serious injury of employees is unacceptable and illegal, so the government must focus all its efforts on improving the safety and rights of these food delivery workers. In addition, all sorts of alternatives should be considered to make the industry as safe as possible.
Reference List
AustraliaPost. (2021). About us. Web.
Bates, A. (2021). Social Media – It’s all About the principles, not the Tactics. Web.
Crosswell, S. (2020). Food Delivery Rider Safety. Web.
Davies, L. (2020). Food Delivery riders deserve Better Rights at Work. Web.
Food delivery drivers. (2021). Web.
Gleeson, R. (2021). 5 ways to help improve the delivery experience. Web.
Healey, B. (2021). Australian delivery riders say new platform safety measures aren’t enough, and that better pay is the only way to improve their working conditions. Web.
Rabe, T. (2021). Toughest laws in Australia set for food delivery companies in NSW. Web.
Swanston, T. (2021). New guidelines to protect food delivery riders after spate of deaths on Sydney roads. Web.
The Delivery Experience. (2021). Web.
The Oracles. (2018). Six Lasting Principles That Drive Social Media Success. Web.
Wozeer, M. (2019). 3 Must Know Design Principles For Your Social Media Content. Web.
Zhang, A., Dowey, A., Baradan, L., and El-Jalkh J. (2021). Australia: New State Safety Laws Targeting Food Delivery Platforms. Web.
Zhou, N. (2021). NSW food delivery taskforce ignored riders’ safety concerns, advocates say. Web.
Appendix
First of all, it should be noted that activities to improve working conditions for food delivery workers are carried out with the help of AustraliaPost. This organization is engaged in a wide range of activities, mainly aimed at helping citizens and publishing important news and facts to raise public awareness (AustraliaPost, 2021). This organization offers its services to improve the situation of delivery people. The main tool is the introduction of a monthly status report in order to identify problems in time and to solve them with the help of publicity (The Delivery Experience, 2021). And it is essential for drivers to pay attention to it.
The poster above was created to be published and distributed on the Internet on popular social networks. Its main task is to draw attention to the created project, which is described in the thesis. The fact is that a large amount of information people rarely read to the end, but this volume requires a little time and is easy to perceive. The most important criteria were to keep it minimalist and concise. Neutral tones were chosen that do not irritate the eye (Bates, 2021).
One of the principles is a screaming title, that is, a phrase that succinctly and briefly calls for action (Wozeer, 2019). This phrase is present in the oval shape is not accidental, this is due to the fact that the circle is associated with a button to start, at a subconscious level, forces the action (The Oracles, 2018). This poster will be posted on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, which the employees often use at work (Gleeson, 2021). It is necessary to provide the text itself, which will accompany this poster:
Security of Food Delivers
With the pandemic and communication technology, more and more people are resorting to using food delivery services. Nevertheless, every worker knows how exhausting and dangerous it is. Does the job have to be like this? Of course the answer is no, so it is urgent to improve and facilitate this activity. Together with AustraliaPost we offer a new project, which attracts more and more delivery workers. The essence of the project is to involve employees in reporting and to identify weaknesses. The next step is to find and provide the latest equipment and transportation to improve comfort and safety. Remember that you are first of all people, and only then employees!