Ease of e-shopping needs to be answered by responsibility

CONSUMERS live in a world of ever-increasing convenience, from food deliveries and ride-hailing apps to next-day shipping and generous e-commerce returns policies. Yet this digitally-enabled lifestyle exacts undeniable real-world costs.

Speedy delivery is made possible not just by mobile apps and real-time tracking, but by workers scrambling for enough assignments to get by. Being able to ship purchases back may benefit savvy shoppers, but results in tonnes of rejected goods.

App-enabled services are often seen as part of the digital future. Yet the labour-intensive foundation on which they are built came into focus this month, when some delivery riders were blindsided by a ban on the personal mobility devices (PMD) which they use.