Technological platforms have converted the motoconcho from analog to digital, creating attractive income opportunities for young people and not so young people who prefer to work on their own.
But, not all platforms have the same economic benefits and none offer a guarantee of acquired labor rights, it is “what is eaten for what is served”, however, the methodology and business model that they implement makes many of these self-employed workers achieve income that allows them to achieve goals that they would not achieve with a formal job.
Juan Carlos Fernández has tried more than one of the existing platforms, as has Junior Tejada, both of whom are residents of Herrera and enjoy doing what they do.
“I have been working in the one I am in now for eight months and the one who affiliated me was my wife, because in principle they only accepted cars and when they integrated the engines, I was ready to start,” Juan Carlos explained to the Listín Diario, telling that at the beginning it was difficult , but “after people know you, they give you good scores and that makes more people want to move with you.” He says that the platform he uses, being new and competing with existing ones, was free, but now he charges 9.5% for every 100 pesos charged.
The interesting thing about it, according to Juan Carlos, is that you deposit money in the application and with that they allow “services to drop”, it’s like a prepaid service, the affiliate receives services as long as he has money available. “I make RD$3,000 or RD$4,000 daily, on bad days and on good days I make RD$5,000 or RD$6,000, it depends on how the trips take place, that is, with RD$500 of gasoline a day, I make that amount of money.”
He adds that on this last platform he has managed to earn up to RD$16,000 weekly, discounting what he invests in gasoline and the percentage he pays to the platform. “Doing this job I was able to buy my car and now I bought a lot,” explained Juan Carlos, stating that his purpose is to finish building his house and ensure his old age.
From selling gasoline to being independent
Junior worked at a gas station with a salary of RD$17,000 and he left it to be a delivery man, because with this his earnings could be RD$7,000 or RD$8,000 a week working part-time and without hours.
He explains that the first platform he joined had many rules and forced him to be available, especially Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In addition, they lower him from “ranking” as a sanction for any situation and this affected his income.
Now Junior has migrated to another platform, the same one where Juan Carlos works, and affirms that he makes more or less RD$2,000 daily, logically if it doesn’t rain or the application is damaged.
“There you can be an independent worker, you can work the day you want, the hours you want without being affected by anything,” Junior maintains with some satisfaction and explains that he manages money instantly, which with other applications you cannot do because the payments are weekly.
It is profitable to make motoconcho or delivery service through the applications, says Junior, but he clarifies that it is not the same to join one or the other, since the benefits vary according to the policies of use. “I’ve had an accident and in one they helped me but in another they didn’t,” he added.
An option against low wages
Since the crisis in the labor market generated by the Covid-19 pandemic, many young people had no other alternative than to join the delivery job in order to survive, however, although it is a risky job, the delivery they achieve income that triples the salaries of many formal companies and they can decide on the time dedicated to work.
Diversified technology platforms offer many people self-employment opportunities.
REGISTRATION Requirements to join
To be able to join any of the applications or platforms, the ownership documents of the motor, the identity card, the insurance, the license must be registered in it, and a photo of the motor must be taken so that they can verify if it is in good condition.
How to pay?
To make payments, you must register a debit or credit card and each time you recharge, define the amount. The application allows recharging from RD$200 to RD$5,000.
The application has an account in a recognized bank for members to make the agreed payments, but all payments are made through the mobile application.