A part-time deliveryman is raising concerns about Telegram groups that are now offering delivery jobs at extremely low rates. He says these prices are so cheap that they are affecting riders on licensed platforms like Grab.
Telegram Groups Offering Jobs at Very Low Prices
The rider, had recently discovered a Telegram group where customers can directly hire delivery riders, bypassing official apps entirely. He shared how surprising it was when he realised why his usual order numbers had dropped.
He said: “I saw this Telegram app which offers delivery services. No wonder there are fewer orders on Grab since people are using these instead.”
According to him, the rates there are “way below” what official delivery platforms offer. Some jobs were priced at half the cost of similar orders on Grab, sometimes even lower.
Income Dropped After Telegram Groups Grew
He has been working part-time for GrabMart and GrabExpress for some time. He said he used to make around $100 to $150 a day, depending on demand. But lately, he realised things were slowing down.
He shared, “Not that significant at first, but you can see the drop.”
He added that a friend told him about the Telegram group, so he joined to check it out.
What shocked him most was the size: “over 40,000 members in that group.”
He said the low prices and high number of riders were disrupting the whole market. According to him, “there are a lot of takers as well, which spoil the market pricing”, and because of that, his income has fallen.
He now earns less than $100 for four to five hours, depending on the day.
He also talked about the dangers of these unregulated arrangements. He said, “There are riders and drivers who collected the item but didn’t deliver, and people who didn’t pay the drivers after delivering for them,” describing the whole situation as messy and risky.
Malaysian Riders Joining for Currency Advantage
He also noticed many Malaysian riders joining these groups. Because of the exchange rate, even low Singapore fees still convert into decent income.
A $10 job becomes about RM30, and H said riders who complete 10 deliveries can earn around RM300 a day, even if the rates are considered too low in Singapore.
He hopes authorities will look into the legality and scale of these Telegram job groups, especially since they affect riders trying to earn through proper platforms.
Telegram has also been used for other unofficial services like SG Hitch carpooling, which previously drew attention from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
LTA has warned that such informal setups may risk safety and accountability since they are not regulated like licensed operators.
