Delivery rider saddles up for novel way to do his rounds

AN INDIAN food delivery driver took to horseback to feed his hungry customers after fuel shortages forced him to abandon his motorbike.

The man can be seen trotting through the busy streets of Hyderabad on a horse in footage of his novel efforts which were shared online.

He is dressed in the distinctive red uniform of the delivery app Zomato, which is the Indian equivalent of Deliveroo, with a delivery bag hanging off his back.

The viral video is said to have reminded Indians of footage of a delivery man for rival food service Swiggy riding a horse to deliver food in Mumbai in 2002 amid heavy rains.

The unnamed Zomato rider was forced onto horseback after a brief strike by truckers caused a fuel shortage that created traffic jams across the city as panicked locals queued to try and fill up their vehicles.

The protest was a response to a proposed law that would impose 10-year prison sentences and heavy fines on hit-and-run drivers. But it was quickly called off after government officials said they would consult motorists before moving forward. Surprised onlookers waved at the delivery driver as he weaved through the traffic jams on his steed. “There was no petrol for my motorbike,” he said in footage shared on social media.

“I waited in the queue for three hours… but couldn’t get the petrol. I left after taking the order.”

Fierce competition among food delivery companies has encouraged some to offer 10-minute delivery times to customers, pushing drivers

‘There was no petrol for my motorbike. I waited in the queue for three hours but I couldn’t get any’

to their limits as they traverse Hyderabad’s congested streets.

The companies have faced a backlash for such policies, with critics arguing they are endangering the lives of delivery drivers, other road users and pedestrians.

Zomato has said that it does not reward employees for on-time deliveries or punish them for late ones.

The company has also announced plans to display phone numbers on delivery bags so that members of the public can report any instances of dangerous driving by its drivers.