Sharing within the gig economy: The use of shared e-bikes by on-demand platform-based instant meal delivery workers in Paris

Abstract

The gig economy and digital platforms have developed in an exponential way over the past few years. In large cities, instant on-demand meal delivery has gained tremendous momentum. This activity is mainly taken on by self-employed workers; consequently, they are in charge of providing their own equipment and vehicle, may it be their own or a rented vehicle. The aim of this paper is to explore delivery riders’ mobility practices in Paris. This research relies on quantitative data from a survey conducted in February 2021 on a sample of more than 500 instant meal delivery riders operating in the northeast district of Paris. Data allowed to characterize the mobility of delivery riders in Paris when on the job. Results reveal that 46.4% of them use bicycles and 38.8% of these bicycle riders rely on Paris’ public shared bicycle service, Vélib’. Results suggest that the Paris shared bicycle scheme allows them to access an electric bicycle at a cheap price. This raises several policy questions. First, in the mind of its early promoters, Vélib’ was not designed to serve the needs of professional delivery workers; their use of the service might limit the availability of bicycles for private users, among other operational challenges. Second, Vélib is providing precarious gig workers with a valuable resource to cope with the insecure conditions associated with instant delivery for digital platforms. This work brings new insights in terms of working conditions of delivery cyclists, and points to the need for comprehensive policy interventions at the municipal level.