Baemin Abolishes "Roadrunner" Schedule Request Feature Following Talks with Delivery Platform Workers Union

Improvement Measures Reflecting Riders’ Voices
Roadrunner Schedule Feature Discontinued; Not Applied to New Rider App

Woowa Brothers Youth, the company responsible for Baemin's logistics services, announced on April 8 that it will no longer implement the advance schedule request feature for the "Roadrunner" rider application, which is currently being piloted in Osan and Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

The schedule feature allows riders to reserve their available delivery times in advance and operate according to the scheduled slots. The Delivery Platform Workers Union has consistently demanded the removal of this feature since the start of official negotiations with Woowa Brothers Youth in September last year, arguing that it could undermine the greatest strength of rider work—its autonomy.

Baemin Rider

During the process of introducing the new rider application to improve the quality of rider dispatch, Woowa Brothers Youth has actively reviewed and sought ways to address various field opinions from riders through the Delivery Platform Workers Union. As part of this process, a meeting was held on April 7 between Oh Joong Kwon, CEO of Woowa Brothers Youth, and Changui Hong, head of the Delivery Platform Workers Union. Woowa Brothers Youth explained that, after fully accepting the union’s opinion, it had decided not to include the schedule feature in the new rider application.

The two sides agreed to proceed with a plan in which the new rider app, which could be tested as early as the second half of this year, will offer only real-time dispatching without a scheduling feature. To achieve this, they will select additional pilot regions within the first half of the year and discuss methods to verify the system’s stability. Woowa Brothers Youth plans to hold sufficient consultations with riders and the rider union during the verification and improvement process.

Woowa Brothers Youth also plans to allow riders currently using Roadrunner in Hwaseong and Osan, Gyeonggi Province, to carry out deliveries at their preferred times in the future, without the need for advance schedule requests. The schedule feature will be fully discontinued within this year.

Oh Joong Kwon, CEO of Woowa Brothers Youth, said, "Responding promptly and sincerely to the union's requests is the starting point for building a sustainable relationship," adding, "We will continue on-site communication to ensure that riders can work in better environments."

Changui Hong, head of the Delivery Platform Workers Union, said, "The union has continuously raised concerns that the schedule feature could restrict riders' autonomy," and added, "As this decision reflects field opinions, we will continue to engage responsibly in discussions to protect riders’ rights and improve the system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.