A 2020 survey put the average rider rate at just over $10 per hour after costs. In my time as a rider, I’ve typically made about $20 per hour – well below the minimum wage of $26.44 – which tells you just how significant the new rate of $31.30 per hour is. Yet entitlements like superannuation and sick leave still remain out of reach, and platforms continue to reward riders who put themselves at risk.

This is done through the gamified series of rewards and in-app achievements that are almost impossible to achieve if riders follow road safety rules. Riders are measured on how quickly they can deliver orders, with faster riders being offered new orders first, leaving slower riders sometimes waiting an hour to receive an order. Furthermore, continued slow deliveries can result in a permanent ban.

Platforms also incentivise riders to work in dangerous conditions, such as pouring rain, extreme heat and at night, when most accidents happen. These bonuses often amount to about 50 cents per delivery.

I’m very lucky, and not only because I have recovered and am delivering again. I’m a citizen, while 84 per cent of riders are on a temporary visa. I didn’t pay a cent for the 10 hours I spent in the emergency department. A 2022 study found that more than half of delivery riders who were injured were admitted to hospital, with less than half of them having access to Medicare, and only 22.7 per cent eligible for workers’ compensation.

When I was told that I couldn’t cycle for eight weeks, I was still able to earn an income from my other job with my arm in a sling. I could pay for the damage to my bike. While I struggled to claim accident insurance – I completed a form that I was later told was no longer in use – I did not need the money immediately. Not all riders are as privileged.