Beyond the regular 9-5 job: The rise of part-time bike taxi drivers

Rising inflation and stagnant wages are forcing salaried workers into the gig, before and after office hours

Rakesh Kumar, 32, works as a sales executive with a Gurugram-based firm between 10 am and 6 pm. His office job pays a modest salary that once covered rent, EMI, and essentials. However, over the last couple of years, that balance has tipped. So, to make ends meet, Kumar has taken to moonlighting — as a bike taxi driver. 

 

“Before heading to the office, I complete at least five or six rides,” he says. “In the evening, I ride again for two to three hours.” He uses both Ola and Uber to get rides. “I earn ₹200-300 every day from the rides. This extra income helps me manage my daily expenses,” he adds.

 

Kumar says he had never imagined himself doing this, but desperation has put him on the road. 

 

He’s not the only one pushing himself at the risk of burnout to get by. Rising inflation and stagnant wages are forcing a number of salaried professionals to venture into bike taxi service as part-time riders.  

 

An analysis of the earnings data for salaried workers, casual labourers, and self-employed persons from the Periodic Labour Force Survey shows that when adjusted for inflation, the wages for salaried workers in India have stagnated since 2019. Real wages are the income a worker earns after it is adjusted for inflation. It reflects the actual purchasing power of society.

 

Compared to the pre-pandemic June 2019 quarter, real wages for salaried jobs were 1.7 per cent lower in the June 2024 quarter (for when the data is last available). This wage stagnation, coupled with rising living costs such as higher fuel and food prices, besides rent, especially in urban areas, have forced people to look for alternative sources of income streams.

 

Unlike full-time drivers, part-time riders like Kumar work strategically, usually during peak hours in the morning and evening, when demand is higher. 

 

According to a March 2024 report by consultancy KPMG, the bike taxi market went up from 141 million rides in 2019 to 281 million in 2022, and then to 318 million in 2023. According to the report, over half of the drivers selected bike taxi driving as a side gig in addition to their regular career.

 

The study also found that bike taxis in Indian cities, particularly metros, have the potential to provide livelihood opportunities to 5.4 million bike drivers by 2030. The bike taxi industry, it added, can provide employment for approximately 5 per cent of the estimated 90 million non-farm jobs needed  by 2030.

 

Sunil Mehta, a 28-year-old working with an IT firm in New Delhi, started riding for Rapido in 2023 when he realised his salary wasn’t enough to sustain him beyond the bare basics.  

 

“My salary is decent, but after rent, food, and other expenses, there’s hardly anything left for savings,” Mehta explains. “I ride from 7 am to 9 am before work, and again from 6 pm to 8 pm after work. I make an extra ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 per month, which helps a lot.” 

Sunand, president, Rajdhani App Workers’ Union, who goes by his first name only, says besides stagnant wages or declining real wages, getting a salaried employment is also becoming difficult, forcing people to find other kinds of precarious job roles. According to a 2024 People at Work survey by global payroll firm ADP Research Institute, more than 40 per cent of Indian workers have two or more sources of income,  the highest among the 18 countries surveyed.

 

Fatigue factor 

 

Managing a full-time job and a side-hustle is not easy.  For many, the day starts at 6 am, and after their regular job, they again hit the road, often riding until late into the night. Given the hectic schedule, fatigue invariably sets in.

 

“I get exhausted everyday,” admits Mehta. “After a full day at work, I sometimes feel I should go home and sleep. But then I remind myself that I need the extra money.” While for some, the second income is about lifestyle and savings, for others, it is a matter  of survival. 

 

Ravi Singh, 38, a security guard at a private firm in Noida, earns ₹11,000 a month, barely enough to sustain his family of four. To make ends meet, he started riding for Rapido in early 2024.

 

“I finish my shift as a security guard in the evening and immediately start picking up rides,” Singh says. “I also ride in the morning before my shift starts.” He admits “it’s very tiring”, but adds that he doesn’t have a choice. “My children are in school, and there are bills to pay. This extra ₹200–300 a day is what’s keeping my family afloat.” 

 

His situation is different from that of salaried professionals, but reflects a larger reality – that for many in India, bike taxi work is a need not a choice, even though this income stream does not always pay well.

 

“Since there is no guaranteed income in gig work, and it depends on the ride you complete, part-time drivers may not always meet their expectation in a specified slot as they have to run for their regular job on time,” highlights Sunand. “Also, they are active during peak hours, when most riders are looking for riders – making it more competitive.” These are challenges the part-time drivers live with. 

• Going the extra mile
• Part-time riders work strategically, usually during peak hours in the morning and evening
• The bike taxi market went up from 141 million rides in 2019 to 318 million in 2023
• Over 50% of the drivers pick bike taxi driving as a side gig
• Indian cities have the potential to provide livelihood to  5.4 million bike drivers by 2030