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Thailand: Line Man rules out U-turn
Food delivery service Line Man has spurned its rider partners’ demand for a reversal of its recent move to lower the 3-kilometre delivery base payment rate, but vowed to provide better incentives and assistance for riders.
Line Man last week reduced the base payment for riders from 62 baht to 50 baht, prompting riders to stage a protest outside the company’s office building on March 26 to demand a reinstatement of the previous payment rate.
On Wednesday, Line Man Thailand held a meeting with representatives of its riders to listen to their demands.
“Delivery payment rates have been adjusted from time-to-time based on several factors such as order volume in different time periods, order volume compared with rider numbers as well as service areas and market competition,” the company later said in a statement.
“The company is aware of problems riders actually face in work and is pleased to redress several issues, such as incentives for long-haul delivery, opportunity cost for long food waiting time as well as online chat system to reduce mobile communication costs,” its statement read.
The company said it would announce related steps soon.
However, it made no reference to the riders’ call for the return of the previous payment rate.
Responding to the riders’ complaints that Line Man’s delivery distance calculation system was flawed, Line Man said the problem happened on only three days from March 22 and the recalculation would be undertaken and the missing payment given later. The firm said it will step up efforts to develop its map system to ensure precise calculations.
According to Line Man, requirements for incentive will become more flexible, such as no limited service time subject to incentives and incentive calculation being counted from the first delivery.
The firm’s failure to respond to the riders’ demand for a U-turn in the base payment rate upset scores of riders who voiced their discontent via the official Line Man Rider Facebook page.
Many said they wanted the return of the 62-baht base payment while some said an incentive focus would push riders into danger as they have to gear up for more delivery rounds to get them.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2093563/line-man-rules-out-u-turn