KARACHI (Reuters) – The 23-year-old Mohammad Mohsin kick-starts his motorcycle every day and heads into the chaotic streets of Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, hoping for enough rides to get his family through the day.
As a Bikea rider for the past three years, he has built his life around the promise of steady daily earnings — something he never had as a labourer before.
Mohsin is the sole breadwinner for his family, supporting his wife and children in Karachi while also sending money back home to his parents in Bahawalpur in Punjab province. Until recently, he says, life was manageable.
That one-rupee adjustment has done little to cushion the blow of soaring fuel prices. After Pakistan raised petrol prices by Rs55 per litre to over Rs320, Mohsin’s daily earnings have dropped to around Rs1,100 ($3.94).
”When the price of petrol increased, the Bikea increased it (fare) by one percent, by one rupee per kilometer. This means the Bikea did not increase anything,” said Mohsin as he drove his bike through the streets.
The impact is immediate and deeply personal.
”When I used to take rupees 1500 ($5.38) home, the expenses were met easily,” he said.
“Now I fill up my bike with petrol or pay for the household expenses? Flour has become so expensive, sugar too. You know, you get one and a half to two kilograms of milk for the children. So it has had a big impact on my life,” he said.
The rising cost of fuel is hitting some of Pakistan's lowest-paid urban workers hardest, with many riders juggling delivery and ride-hailing jobs to make incomes that barely cover essentials.
Fuel is their biggest cost, and with petrol above 320 rupees per litre, riders say the economics of each trip have shifted sharply. Pakistan imports most of its fuel.
Reuters spoke to more than half a dozen riders in Karachi, the country's biggest city, all of whom said the fuel price surge had squeezed earnings ahead of Eid, a time when they are usually able to boost their income.
Inflation, which had eased after hitting a record 38% in 2023, has accelerated to around 7%, pushing up food, rent and utility costs. Many gig workers earn below the 32,000 rupee ($114.67) monthly minimum wage, with no fixed pay or benefits.
Austerity measures, school closures and work-from-home policies have cut commuting trips, reducing ride-hailing income even as delivery demand rises for the breaking of fast and Eid.
For platforms that rely on these workers, the strain is beginning to show.
Hassan Arshad, Pakistan director of public affairs and communications for food and grocery delivery platform foodpanda, said it adjusts payouts and offers riders discounts on fuel and maintenance.
Ride-hailing and delivery platform Bykea's Chief Operating Officer, Rafiq Malik, said work-from-home and school closures were cutting demand for rides, with the company focusing on "smarter trip matching" to boost driver earnings.
Ride-hailing platform Yango's Senior Public Relations Manager for South Asia, Nuzair Virani, acknowledged the weaker demand and said it was using dynamic pricing, bonuses and planned fuel-saving partnerships to support drivers.
Still, riders say the measures have not kept pace with rising costs.
Many say they are working longer hours ahead of Eid – taking more trips, skipping breaks and stretching their days late into the night – just to afford even modest celebrations.
“These days, a single job is not enough to run your kitchen. It’s a simple matter,” he says. “We have to work extra hours to meet our needs.”
Muhammad Hussain Qazi, another Bikea rider, describes the strain.
If we buy petrol worth 600 rupees ($2.15), 1000 rupees ($3.58) comes into our pockets. Now, what goods can we buy for the 400 rupees ($1.43) that we save? Tell us. How do we afford it? Ask our hearts, friend, ask our hearts,” he said.
With costs rising and earnings shrinking, Mohsin fears the road ahead if petrol price further increases.
“Then we will have to park the bikes at home and switch to work as labourer because there is no benefit in riding anymore,” he said sadly.