Tech Roundup: Rio enters the delivery app business

Delivery app drivers around Brazil have staged protests and walkouts over working conditions. Photo: Shutterstock

This week. Rio de Janeiro launches delivery app to compete with iFood and Rappi. Brazil’s data privacy law once more at the center of discussion. The use of tech on Black Friday in Brazil, beyond e-commerce.

Rio launches delivery app to compete with iFood and Rappi

The city of Rio de Janeiro announced this month the launch of a delivery app designed by the city government itself to compete with existing platforms in the sector, such as iFood, Rappi, and UberEats.

The app. Delivery.Rio was developed by the Municipal Informatics Company (Iplanrio), though it is currently only available to the city’s civil servants while in its testing phase – which runs from 25 November through to January 4.

For the moment, services are limited to requests from bars and restaurants that registered on the platform by November 24.
In addition, the establishments themselves will be required to hire their own delivery drivers.

Better for everyone. According to City Hall, the idea behind Delivery.Rio was to create a more economical alternative for everyone in the chain, not just the apps themselves.

According to the city, establishments will not have to pay fees to participate, while delivery workers will earn more and face better working conditions than on other platforms, and customers will pay lower prices for orders.

Dream. The idea of launching the city’s own delivery app was conceived some time ago, with Mayor Eduardo Paes having announced the project back in July 2020, when on the campaign trail, looking to win a third (non-consecutive) term.

“We have to create Rio’s official iFood or UberEats to improve the remuneration of motorcycle couriers and delivery people who are there, grinding away from sunrise to sunset, and who are very poorly paid. They have my solidarity,” said Mr. Paes at the time to the newspaper Globo.
This will not be the first app that the city of Rio de Janeiro launches. Four years ago, Taxi.Rio, the city’s transport app launched to compete with...

Ana Ferraz

Ana Ferraz is a journalist specialized in global affairs and economics. She previously worked at the Italian News Agency ANSA and has been published by multiple Brazilian outlets.