What do ride-sharing apps mean for student drivers?

In the corporate sector, most entry-level positions require a bachelor's degree, at the very least. Ride-sharing apps like Uber and Pathao have diminished such barriers and helped create employment opportunities for students. Whether students partake in their ride-sharing duties in a part-time capacity or devote full-time hours is entirely up to them. But what influences their decisions are the different circumstances that affect them.

Between long hours of commute, the unforgiving Dhaka traffic, and their academic commitments, as feasible as this line of work may be, to what degree does it aid students?  

Tamjed Islam Shanto, a 2nd-year Management major at Khilgaon Model College talks about his beginnings. "I initially applied to get a licence because I was supposed to leave the country with my family. We later had to let go of such plans due to financial constraints which further deteriorated during covid," he said. "As the family's eldest son, I had to take on certain duties. It helped me pay rent, contribute to my sister's education and even revive my father's business."

Md. Nazrul Islam, a recent post-grad of Bangla from Mohammadpur Kendriya College reflects on his beginnings. "I was done with my bachelor's and was looking for a job. Coming from a middle-class family, there wasn't anyone who could refer me to a private company and help me get a job," he said. "So, I started my journey with Uber."

Being a student entails that one must balance work, academics, and life in general. The job of a rider is stress-inducing, and the physically draining conditions of the road do not bode well for anyone.

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"Sometimes, I will get users who are very far from my current location. Some customers are very insensitive and make me wait for prolonged periods. Even if we, riders, complain, they get overlooked in favour of customer complaints," Nazrul laments.

On the other spectrum, Tamjed talks about the self-sufficient nature of his work. "Being a driver on a ride-sharing app has been very liberating. There is no one to fix your hours for you, no hierarchy, or partners to answer to. Having that choice made pursuing a bachelor's degree much more convenient for me." Tamjed continues. "Now that I have restarted my education, I work part-time at a courier service – an opportunity that came thanks to my work with Pathao."

Nonetheless, drivers have to account for maintenance for their vehicle and miscellaneous costs among other things. Surging oil prices must also be taken into consideration. While it has recently gone down, the cut is insignificant. The residing prices are still quite high and have to be borne by the student drivers themselves.

To reclaim a grasp on their duties, some drivers have resorted to driving without the aid of an app. Passengers are usually wary of such a practice as it takes the safety aspect that apps guarantee out of the equation.

For a job that is already thankless, students who participate in this workforce should be admired. On the surface, it appears to be a part-time gig they can make a quick buck out of, but once delved into involves a lot of intricate knots. These young people may be running on fumes, but at least they have the drive to keep going forward.

Abir Hossain is a sub-editor at SHOUT, The Daily Star.