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Food delivery riders spend their workdays dodging all kinds of hazards. They race through traffic, forever on deadline to deliver poke bowls and pizzas for only a few euros per ride. But this summer in Europe, successive heat waves added to the challenges that already make them some of the gig economy’s most vulnerable workers.
The riders have been on the front lines, dripping with sweat as they cycle on scorching asphalt, struggling to stay hydrated and to keep the phones that are key to their business working in the heat.
And in some places, like Rome, they suffered twice: first from cycling in searing temperatures, then by not being allowed to do so, as concerned officials banned work during the hottest hours of the hottest days.
For the moment, the worst of the heat in Rome has ebbed, but temperatures are expected to rise again next week in other cities, like Palermo, Sicily. And the problem of more severe heat seems unlikely to go away anytime soon as the planet warms.
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In recent weeks, we spoke to several riders, some in Rome and some in Palermo, where outdoor work was allowed to continue unabated.
