Roads of Kerala have increasingly been turning killing fields of gig workers. Over 30 such workers, mostly food delivery personnel, have been killed in road accidents in the State in the past one year, according to informal data collected by the Kerala State Gig and Platform Workers Union (KSGPWU) affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
The union initiated the data collection in the wake of recent back-to-back road accidents that claimed the lives of delivery personnel. As per the data, 16 delivery personnel were killed in road accidents in Thiruvananthapuram district alone while work-hour rides turned fatal for 11 workers in Ernakulam. The union has also recorded three such deaths from Kottayam and two from Thrissur. Time constraints coupled with heavy traffic often contribute to the higher number of fatalities, those involved in the sector say.
“The data is incomplete and we have instructed our members to record the deaths and injuries from accidents during working hours promptly. The information is being collected to ensure that the victims are compensated promptly,” Sumesh Padman, general secretary, KSGPWU, said. He alleged that insurance claims were yet to be settled in many cases, and the families of victims often required help to deal with the compensation procedures.
V.S. Sunilkumar, secretary, Kerala State Gig Workers Union (AITUC), agreed with Mr. Padman’s concerns over compensation, though the fatality data compiled by his organisation was different. “Delivery workers have been killed in 11 accidents since 2022, as per our figures,” he said.
Family in distress
On July 9 alone, two delivery personnel were killed in road accidents, one each in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. While Sunilkumar, 46, a native of Udma in Kasaragod district, was killed after being knocked down and run over by a private bus in Kochi, Ranjeev, a 35-year-old gig worker, lost his life in an accident in the State capital.
The sudden death of Sunilkumar, who was working for a food delivery app in Kochi, has left his family comprising his unemployed wife, 13-year-old son, and five-year-old daughter in severe financial distress. “He had just started repaying a home loan. The family is worried about how to move forward. The company’s representative has asked us to keep all the documents ready for claiming the insurance,” Rajesh Kumar, Sunilkumar’s brother, said.
Eligible for ₹10 lakh
A representative of the company, on condition of anonymity, said the death had been promptly reported to the higher offices and the family should be eligible for ₹10 lakh. The source, however, could not confirm how long it might take to settle the amount.
Albin (name changed for privacy), a delivery worker, meanwhile, said many were being forced to ignore safety aspects during work. “We are eligible for a full incentive of around ₹500 only if we complete 22 orders and work during the peak shifts of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. We suspect sufficient orders are not allotted to full-time workers to reduce the incentives. Delays in despatch from some restaurants and frequent calls from impatient customers also add to our worries,” he said.
Published – July 19, 2026 09:12 pm IST
