Expect, the unexpected! China may not be like New York City, Toronto, Europe, and Japan when it comes to wintertime, but winter can get harsh, too, in this East Asian country.
According to websites and blogs such as China Discovery and Jerrysworlds.com, hey, temperatures can reduce up to 1 degree Celsius, with the gap up to 50 degrees Celsius on the temperatures in northern China and southern China.
Sure, there are no harsh winters in areas like Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Macao, compared to those destinations in the north of China, but generally, the winters in China can get really, really harsh.
And what happens when there are harsh winters for these delivery riders? Aside from frostbite, they cannot do their work in the best way possible. So, the leading food delivery app in China, Meituan, is ready to roll-out more protections for these delivery staff across not just one or two or three cities, but across 186 cities, that’s right.
Meituan will roll-out intelligently-heated uniforms and medical coverage, plus insurance for the millions of delivery staff across these cities in China, including destinations in Inner Mongolia.
The comfy jackets feature heating elements in the chest and back areas to help these people stay warm while they ride along the roads for their deliveries. The first batches are going to be distributed in the colder regions of this East Asian country. See? They won’t need to go to Uniqlo, or to their favorite thrift shop to buy these clothes and layers.
Aside from those, Meituan is also prepared to provide gloves, facemasks, knee pads, and other harsh-climate supplies, saving these people the resources of purchasing these items from stores.
As for the medical coverage and insurance, they will be covered until next year, with Internet medical consultations and other healthcare services. There will also be service stations in over 30 cities, offering hot water, meals, winter supplies, and maintenance assistance.
The government is in-support of these endeavors. Meng Quan, the labor relations department at the China University of Labor Relations, told the RSF team, “Rider protection is evolving from the distribution of welfare supplies toward a more systematic approach.”
Will the Uber business follow suit? Tip Ridesharingforum.com your thoughts when you open your account now! RSF is your newsroom for food deliveries, and so much more! ‘Til then!