Is Mandatory Insurance for Food Delivery Workers in India a Necessary Safety Measure?

The growth of the food delivery industry in India

It is true that the food delivery industry is growing fast in India, and many people have been able to find work as delivery personnel, earning an average of Rs. 15K - 40K per month. However, as the increase in earnings depends on the number of deliveries made in a day, working long hours on the road can lead to rash driving and fatigue, increasing the chances of accidents for both the delivery personnel and the people around them on the streets.

The need for mandatory insurance coverage

Given these risks, does it make sense for the government to mandate a minimum insurance coverage to be provided by the employer?

Existing Legislation and Employer Responsibilities

Already, there is a law enacted by the government that employees should be covered by the Workmen's Compensation Act or ESI Act. Why should there be any special legislation for this industry? I understand that there are small players who have not even covered these delivery boys under ESI, and many have manipulated the salary by including the incentives they receive so that they would fall outside the coverage of ESI. However, they forget that if not covered by ESI, employers are bound to pay significant compensation in case of accidents as provided under the Employees' Compensation Act, and in order to cover this, they should take out policies to cover their employees under policies that meet the requirements of that Act.

The irony is that, to exclude employees from ESI coverage, they show the salary slightly above Rs 21,000 by including incentives, but when it comes to paying gratuity, they exclude all such incentives. I think employers should first correct themselves and make use of the existing laws and social security facilities available for their employees.