Lawmakers from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka among others are concerned about road safety and possibly traffic infractions as a result of Zomato's pilot project proposing 10-minute delivery to customers.

Chennai's traffic officials questioned firm executives last week, seeking clarity on the infrastructure required for safe swift delivery service operations.

10-minute delivery is a 'trial experiment' for select cities, according to Zomato, and will not be deployed in Chennai for the time being. After that, traffic regulators demanded assurances from Zomato that the company will disclose its plans for Chennai in advance.

The food delivery, dining, and restaurant discovery service hopes to lower the distance travelled per order over time, resulting in increased road safety for its delivery partners.

On the condition of anonymity, company executives say Zomato is in talks with state regulators as well as delivery executives to alleviate concerns about instant delivery, which has sparked considerable scepticism in recent days, notably on social media.

In Karnataka, traffic police have had numerous meetings with food aggregators to discuss road safety. Politicians and police officers in Bengaluru have been enraged by delivery partners' sometimes frenzied efforts to fulfil targets.

A delivery partner's work hazards have also been discussed in Parliament. Last week, Karti P Chidambaram, a member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district, warned about insurers refusing to pay up on injury claims filed by delivery workers. He also voiced concerns about delivery executives driving their own cars for commercial deliveries.

Instant delivery, according to Zomato, will not cut margins for restaurants and delivery partners, but will make it cheaper for customers because it will be a hyperlocal service. 'Finishing stations' would collect 20-30 of the most popular meals from adjacent eateries, reducing delivery time.

Meanwhile, Karnataka minister Jnanendra pointed to “every chance of young delivery employees risking their own lives, as well as those of others, while trying to keep this unrealistic deadline in Bengaluru’s busy traffic. I request people not to fall prey to these claims.”