A delivery boy rides on his motorcycle on the street in Ankara, Turkey on March 10, 2021.(Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

Turkish delivery boys are busy delivering things such as food, clothing and medicines to people in need.

by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of delivery boys are serving residents of the Turkish capital city Ankara amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to satisfy people's need in times of crisis.

The demand for motorcycle couriers and online sales has skyrocketed due to the lockdowns and curfews during the epidemic, as people were confined in their homes.

"We have been the backbone of the supply chain during the pandemic, we have delivered all kinds of goods from food and groceries to clothing and medicines to people in need," Firat Tilki, a 26-year-old delivery boy, told Xinhua.

He is working at Toscana's, a pizzeria and burger shop located in the busy Yildizevler district of the city which started to operate in the midst of the pandemic, in the second half of 2020.

Owners took a gamble but it payed off as it became quite popular.

The motorbike driver said that their difficult work had been appreciated by citizens while many people who were laid off during the pandemic have also joined this profession.

"We have contributed in our way to serving people who wanted to have a sense of a normal life during the outbreak," Tilki said.

A delivery boy takes a delivery from a restaurant in Ankara, Turkey on March 10, 2021. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)

Since the start of the outbreak in March 2020, Turkey has imposed night and weekend curfews and closed restaurants and other similar businesses to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

During this time, only delivery men were allowed to roam the deserted streets, rushing deliveries to customers, sometimes in bad weather.

Since March 1, the country has moved towards a controlled normalization, reopening businesses and lifting curfews, except in provinces where infection rates are still high.

People's consumption habits also changed during the period as citizens ordered nearly all their essential needs from the Internet.

Teoman Turker, a 36-year-old veteran delivery man for the same restaurant, said that he feared of catching the virus and transmitting it to his two children and chronically ill wife.

Even after taking all necessary precautions and wearing all necessary gears, the dedicated rider still avoids getting too close to his family members at home.

"Our profession is challenging and demanding, but I think we managed to offer a lifeline to many people who had to stay at home. We were somewhat their representatives outdoors," he said.

Rapidity is key in this dangerous job on a two-wheeler while meeting deadlines sometimes cost a driver's life.

The number of motorcycle couriers who died in traffic accidents amid the pandemic has risen 10 times compared to the previous year, according to data from the Federation of All Anatolian Motorcycle Couriers (TAMKF).

The data showed that 190 delivery drivers died since March 2020. The number of deaths was 19 in 2019.

While driving alone on empty urban roads during a curfew may bring an adrenaline rush to any motorcycle driver, tips have not been usually good, said Turker.

"People mostly prefer to pay online to avoid any contact with us, so tips have been on the downside but we can't complain, we have been doing a public service to citizens," he added. ■