Food delivery riders in Johor Baru now have a dedicated space for a recharge – for both themselves and their devices.
Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) has launched the Rider Recharge Hub in Kempas, the first such facility in Johor and the second in Malaysia, to provide gig workers a comfortable place to take a break while waiting for orders.
Food delivery rider Nurul Sabrina Samian, 39, welcomed the initiative, saying it allowed riders to charge their phones and power banks, rest or seek shelter during bad weather.
“Sometimes we forget to bring our power banks, and our phone batteries run low after working for seven or eight hours.
“This place is comfortable; we can stop by to charge our devices before continuing with deliveries,” she said.
A full-time rider for the past three years, Nurul said she earned about RM700 a week, depending on the number of orders she could complete.
She hopes the Government will increase the Budi Madani petrol subsidy quota for p-hailing riders, equal to the 800 litres for e-hailing drivers.
“The current 200-litre quota is too low because we spend long hours on the road every day.
“Increasing it to 800 litres will greatly reduce our burden as the work we do is the same as e-hailing drivers,” she said.
Food delivery rider Mohd Afdhal Ariff Aris, 42, said the hub was introduced at the right time, especially for riders who spend long hours on the road.
“Some riders spend around 14 hours on the road, so if we forget our power bank or our phone battery is low, we can stop here to charge it,” he said, adding that riders could also take a break whenever it rained.
However, Afdhal said many riders remained concerned about declining earnings, noting that payments per delivery had dropped from around RM4.50 previously to between RM3.20 and RM3.50, while incentive bonuses had also been reduced.
Riders also face daily challenges, including bad weather, reckless motorists, poor mobile signal and having to enter unfamiliar areas to complete deliveries.
Afdhal suggested the government introduce motorcycle servicing discounts for riders and organise more safety courses to help them improve their skills on the road.
Another food delivery rider, Muhammad Fairuz Shah Mohd Hatta, 24, said the hub provided convenience.
“There are times when there are no orders, so we can stop here for a while to get something to drink and chill before continuing work,” he said.
Fairuz, who has been a delivery rider for a year to support himself after completing his diploma, said his daily earnings ranged from RM70 to RM150.
Fairuz added that late-night deliveries could be risky due to reckless drivers, revealing that he had been involved in two accidents during the past year.
Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad said the Rider Recharge Hub was created at Kempas community centre to recognise the contributions of gig workers and provide them with a safe and comfortable place to rest between deliveries.
The facility, built at a cost of RM30,000, offers free charging ports, WiFi and seating, with nearby surau, public toilets and food stalls.
According to Mohd Haffiz, MBJB intends to establish more such hubs in the city.
