‘Safety comes first’
Delivery rider stresses being safe on the road
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth a mountain of uncertainty, but 18-year-old Conrod Cushnie was sure about one thing – he wanted a source of income to stay afloat. The St Catherine resident has been a bearer for Sen’ Out Jamaica, a delivery service that was started in May.
“I started two weeks ago and it was as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I see where there is an opportunity for us, and others as well. So I have taken this job to do good for others, and I see where it is a blessing. So I just take it seriously and continue to put out my best efforts every day,” Cushnie told THE STAR.
Cushnie rides around on a motorbike and delivers various items to customers across the Corporate Area.
But before beginning, he had to ensure he was legally equipped.
“That’s the rule and we abide by the rule. Before we could start working, we needed a riders’ licence for us to be out there on the road each and every day.”
The youngster says a regular person may just see his job as riding around and dropping off deliveries, but it requires so much more.
“Doing this job, the first thing I have learnt is that safety comes first; and also, time management is important to us. So we challenge ourselves daily with time-management skills and so forth,” he related.
While he enjoys the job wholeheartedly, the crime and violence that continue to rattle Jamaica is something that he ponders on daily.
“I am concerned about the crime rate that we face and safety issues that may come us as we ride around delivering order for the customers. Being out on the road daily … that’s a risk for us; but for our customers, we take that risk. I pray and I am hopeful that I will overcome any type of hindrance.”
There is also the risk of being involved in crashes. According to the Road Safety Unit, since the start of the year, 180 persons have been killed in fatal crashes, 30 per cent of whom are motorists.