In haze-hit Johor, staying indoors is a luxury delivery riders cannot afford

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 20 — For delivery riders in Johor, escaping the thick haze that has settled over the state is not as simple as staying indoors. Their livelihoods depend on being out on the road, even as the polluted air takes a toll on their health.

As air quality reached very unhealthy levels in several parts of the state last week, riders reported sore throats, stinging eyes and other symptoms, leaving some to weigh the cost of fewer deliveries against the risks of prolonged exposure.

The haze, carried across the region by smoke from fires in Indonesia, has prompted Johor to extend school and educational institution closures until October 23, even as outdoor workers continue their daily routines.

For Ghani Jaafar, a 50-year-old food and beverage delivery rider on the outskirts of Johor Bahru, the effects of the haze were difficult to ignore.

After spending long hours making deliveries on his motorcycle, he developed a sore throat and mild nasal irritation.

“The symptoms happened early last week and persisted up till the weekend.

“If the haze becomes severe this week, I will consider temporarily scaling down on my deliveries,” he told Malay Mail while making his rounds yesterday.

Delivery rider Ghani Jaafar, 50, said he experienced a sore throat and nasal irritation after prolonged exposure to the haze in Johor last week. — Picture by Ben Tan

But cutting back on work is hardly straightforward.

Ghani also works part-time as a construction site supervisor, leaving him with little opportunity to escape the outdoor conditions. Between the two jobs, he spends more than 10 hours a day working.

“It is meaningless for people like me to be indoors as both my jobs are based outdoors. On average, I spend more than 10 hours a day doing both jobs.

“The best I can do is to drink more water, monitor the current Air Pollutant Index (API) and try to minimise being outdoors,” he said.

He is aware of the risks, from coughing and eye irritation to sore throats and shortness of breath. Yet avoiding the haze would also mean giving up working hours.

Prolonged exposure to haze, particularly fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract and aggravate existing conditions such as asthma.

In an October 15 advisory, the Health Ministry urged the public to avoid outdoor activities when the API exceeds 100, the threshold for unhealthy air quality, and recommended N95 masks for those who must venture outside. Employers were also advised to provide the masks to outdoor workers.

Part-time delivery rider Mohd Eddin Sanusi, 38, called on the government to provide financial assistance to gig workers affected by the haze in Johor. — Picture by Ben Tan

For Mohd Eddin Sanusi, another delivery rider, the problem has been particularly acute on the road.

The 38-year-old said the haze had left his eyes sore and stinging, sometimes affecting his ability to see clearly while riding his motorcycle.

“Since early last week, I have had sore eyes that started with a stinging sensation from the haze.

“This also affected my vision when I’m riding my motorcycle,” he told Malay Mail when met at a 24-hour restaurant here recently.

“I wash my face more often and use eye drops to relieve the soreness.

“Besides that, I was advised by my family to avoid any delivery runs if the API is above 200,” said Mohd Eddin, who also works as a car rental executive in Pontian.

Under Malaysia’s API classification, readings between 201 and 300 are considered very unhealthy, while those above 300 are classified as hazardous.

Johor recorded 30,648 cases of asthma and upper respiratory tract infections in October as of mid-month, a 20.7 per cent week-on-week increase, according to state Education and Information Committee chairman Dr Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali.

Mohd Eddin began making deliveries three years ago to supplement his income. He described the latest haze as the worst he had encountered since taking up the work.

“This time round, the haze has hit most of southern Johor, where most delivery riders are based.

“It would be good if the government could come out with an assistance package for gig workers like me who are affected by the haze,” he said.

For some riders, the trade-off is already reshaping their working routines.

Delivery rider Putera Mohammad Aidil, 41 (3rd left), has turned to an air quality monitoring app to track haze conditions and plan his daily deliveries in Johor. — Picture courtesy of Putera Mohammad Aidil

Putera Mohammad Aidil, 41, who makes food deliveries for his family’s stall in Bandar Baru Uda, has begun limiting how far he travels after experiencing a sore throat and eye irritation.

The Johor Bahru-based rider said he was concerned about the long-term consequences of breathing polluted air while working.

He recently downloaded an air quality monitoring app to help plan his daily deliveries, but it was advice from his wife that led him to restrict his routes to nearby residential areas.

“My family operates a food stall in Bandar Baru Uda and I normally do the motorcycle deliveries,” he said when contacted yesterday.

“With the current haze and due to health concerns, my wife told me to concentrate my deliveries within the nearby residential area only.

“In a way, this cuts down on my deliveries and contact with the haze, but it also affects my business as well.

“However, as a family man with three young children, I can’t forgo my health.”