A delivery driver is busy delivering food in the rain in Seoul on Aug. 21, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Delivery drivers of the food delivery app Baedal Minjok are frustrated with the company’s monsoon season promotion, claiming that the requirements are overly strict and primarily benefit the company.
Woowa Brothers Corp., the operator of Baedal Minjok, initiated a promotion for delivery workers on July 10, which will conclude on July 31.
The promotion offers benefits based on points accumulated from the number of deliveries, weather conditions (rain, heat), and bonus areas (stores or locations less favored by riders).
The promotion provides prizes worth up to 1 million won (US$790).
However, the issue with the promotion is that it may encourage delivery drivers to engage in reckless driving.
Each delivery is worth 1 promotional point, with an additional 2 points granted for deliveries made in inclement weather. Delivery to congested areas grants an extra point.
To reach the maximum achievable score of 1,600 points, a delivery driver needs to complete 1,600 deliveries. This is equivalent to fulfilling 73 deliveries every day without taking any time off during the entire promotional period.
The fatality rate for car accidents is 37.5 percent higher on rainy days compared to sunny days and the average braking distance is nearly twice as long, according to data by Woowa Brothers.
However, some argue that no one is coercing delivery workers to make deliveries, and they have the freedom to choose whether to participate or not.
The company maintains that the promotion is a voluntary event, and it continues to enforce real-time delivery restrictions during adverse weather conditions.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
