NUS biomed engineering student rides for Deliveroo
She is a final-year biomedical engineering student at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and a part-time Deliveroo dispatch rider.
Working four times a week, Ms Cheryl Chai, 23, took up the job last year to pay off her student loan.
But it is a job that comes with its challenges. On her way to pick up a food order at Jurong Point last December, she felt her motorcycle - a Honda CBR 150 - stall as she tried to make a turn.
She looked down and saw her motorcycle chain on the road. At the same time, it started to rain heavily.
That didn't stop her.
Within 20 minutes, her mechanic had arrived. And after he completed the repairs, she was off to complete the delivery.
She is a minority in a male-dominated industry. Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, she said: "I think women don't consider Deliveroo because it is stereotypically a man's job."
During school term, she works four hours on a weekday, completing 10 to 12 orders, and eight hours on a weekend, making 18 to 19 deliveries.
FLEXIBLE HOURS
She said the job's flexible hours allow her to juggle schoolwork and family commitments.
To save on travel time, she takes shifts near her Choa Chu Kang home, where she lives with her mother, a paralegal at a corporate company, and younger brother.
Said Ms Chai: "In Singapore, many jobs are categorised by gender. But at Deliveroo, all riders are given equal opportunities. More women should try it.
"They will never know if they like it or not if they never give it a shot."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
