Food delivery services slowly resumed in Hyderabad on May 23, Sunday, after the Director-General of Police (DGP) Mahender Reddy instructed the Commissioners of Police to address grievances and ensure smooth delivery of essentials. Swiggy opened up services at 11.30 am and Zomato is functional as well. However, it is important to note that both services are only functioning with a limited fleet.
“We are operational in Telangana today with limited restaurant and delivery partner supply,” Zomato said in a tweet. “We’re operational with limited options for food and other essential deliveries based on local directives,” Swiggy said.
For delivery partners whose accounts were blocked for cancellation penalties, Zomato said that these are automated triggers and that it will be “reversing all cancellation and rejection penalties incurred today due to the operational issues on-ground”. Swiggy’s delivery executives were not charged the same on May 22.
Both Swiggy and Zomato paused services on May 22, Saturday in Hyderabad until further clarity from the government authorities on lockdown restrictions. This came after several delivery persons were fined and their vehicles seized during lockdown checks by the authorities. Although the Telangana government’s Government Order allowed deliveries in their list of permitted activities when the lockdown was announced, they violated their own order and in some instances, even assaulted the delivery workers.
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) urged the DGP to intervene in the matter and to return the seized vehicles. TGPWU also requested the DGP cancel the challans that have been issued to the delivery agents and drivers during the lockdown period.
Dear Sir @TelanganaDGP FOR URGENT INTERVENTION!!! Kindly release the seized vehicles, waive challans and please take necessary action on companies and not on poor drivers and delivery workers.
— Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (@TGPWU) May 22, 2021
Copy to: @mahmoodalitrs @asadowaisi @kishanreddybjp @CPHydCity @cpcybd @RachakondaCop https://t.co/maiK8EjPFB pic.twitter.com/uE6r6Y6tN6
After the incidents on Saturday, many delivery platforms had a meeting with the authorities for clarity. The Telangana DGP said that he had a review meeting with the police commissioners regarding the several requests flagged with regard to the “disruption of essential services including food deliveries”. He said he directed the commissioners to ensure a seamless supply going ahead while executing the lockdown.
Further, all three Commissioners of Police have been instructed to get in touch with all stakeholders and redress all grievances at the earliest for smooth supply of essential services, while tightening the #LockDown enforcement .#StayHomeStaySafe.
— DGP TELANGANA POLICE (@TelanganaDGP) May 22, 2021
The DGP also directed all three Commissioners of Police to get in touch with all stakeholders and redress grievances “at the earliest for smooth supply of essential services”.