Chennai launches India’s first gig workers’ resting pod

Chennai: 50-year-old Kumar, a businessman-turned-gig worker employed with a food delivery app, used to look for empty bus stops or restaurants in upscale Anna Nagar to sit and relax for about an hour from 11 am every day due to a low flow of orders during that time.

He was often asked to leave the seats for waiting passengers, and people looked down upon him at the entrances of many food outlets.

But on Thursday, Kumar, who shut down his catering unit two years ago due to losses suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, was sitting relaxed and chatting with fellow gig workers at an exclusive lounge launched for them on Wednesday. The lounge is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide.

The gig workers’ pod, probably the first in the country, was established by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). It is made indigenously with a minimalist Scandinavian design and boasts facilities such as air conditioning, seating for 25 people, drinking water, and a washroom.

The facility, equipped with LED lighting, will help gig workers not only take rest during non-peak hours but will also be beneficial during peak summers and winters by providing them safety and comfort.

“Gig workers like me look for places or shade to rest when we have fewer orders. Since we are not allowed inside apartments or restaurants, we look for public places to spend time. This facility is like a godsend for us. Since I deliver around this area, this pod will be hugely beneficial to me whenever I need some rest,” Kumar, who delivers about 25 to 30 orders a day, told DH.

The GCC plans to set up such pods in about 30 to 40 locations across the city in the coming months, with plans to replicate the model in cities like Coimbatore. The cost of one gig workers’ pod is about Rs 25 lakh. Anna Nagar was chosen for the first pod since the locality has a significant number of women delivering food orders.

Wasim, the project in-charge, said the pod’s design was inspired by similar facilities in Europe and Dubai, and they made modifications to suit the needs of gig workers in Chennai. A watchman will guard the pod and manually log the details of gig workers before allowing them to enter the facility. Entry will be permitted only to those in uniform to ensure that others do not use the facility.

“The pod has simple functionality, and the goal is to provide a safe place for gig workers who work continuously for about 10 hours without much rest. The pod has CCTV cameras connected to the local police station and GCC for the safety of people using the facility,” Wasim told DH.

Balaji (53), who has been delivering food for the last six years, welcomed the washroom facility at the pod.

“Finding a washroom is one of the toughest tasks for us, and a clean washroom with a place to rest is something we have always yearned for. We can rest for a few minutes between orders at this pod. This will also help us interact with our peers,” he said.

Balaji also suggested that similar facilities should be set up near large apartment and commercial complexes where the number of orders is generally high.