‘What we are earning is going straight into our fuel tanks’: Brampton gig workers crippled by fuel cost

The price of regular gas in many GTA stations crossed the $1.80 per litre mark Wednesday, as the global energy crisis continues following the Israel-U.S. war on Iran.

For thousands of gig workers including food delivery drivers and ride sharing contractors in Brampton, the global economic rollercoaster has hit home. Fuel prices are forcing those who rely on their vehicles for their hourly wages, to think hard about the impacts of a war on the other side of the world.

“We have to work (an extra) three, four hours or more…we need to pay the rent and groceries,” Paras Sharma, who works as a food delivery driver for DoorDash, told The Pointer. All of his colleagues are feeling the same unease about what the increase in fuel costs will mean for their budgets long term, he said. “It is making day-to-day life very difficult for us.”

Sharma said that before the spike in fuel prices, he paid about $105 to fill up his tank. Now, when the pump stops, he’s staring at a $185 bill.

Brampton’s large international student and temporary foreign worker populations, mostly from South Asian countries drawn to the city because of its large South Asian communities, have supplied thousands of gig workers including delivery and ride sharing drivers across the GTA.

Hundreds of thousands of workers across Canada depend on app-based delivery work. Recent data from Statistics Canada show that from October to December 2022, an average of 871,000 Canadians were employed in gig jobs, and in December 2023, around 468,000 worked through digital platforms; 245,000 were working in delivery services, and 116,000 provided personal transport services.

“The challenge is I need to work more. Before, I had some time to go to the gym or spend some time with my friends, but now I have to be on the road just to make up for the lost earnings,” Sharma said.

Recognizing the impact on its drivers, DoorDash, an American company, announced an emergency relief program for eligible Canadian drivers to help offset some of the staggering costs. 

“Rising gas prices have a real impact on Dashers, especially those who are delivering the most. This program is about giving Dashers real savings at the pump,” Cody Aughney, vice president of Dashers and logistics at DoorDash, said in a press release. 

Under the program, the drivers will receive an additional $1.50 per 50 kilometers driven from March 23, 2026, to April 26, 2026, up to $36 per week, according to the company’s official website.

Sharma said it’s very limited relief to drivers, as current fuel costs are significantly more than what the increased rate provides to offset expenses.

“It is a benefit, but not useful enough to really help in our day-to-day lives. If they want to support drivers, there should be proper incentives; for instance, after completing 5 or 10 orders, we get something extra like $5 or $30," he said. “Some companies do provide such offers; for example, on weekends, they offer $35 if drivers complete three or four alcohol deliveries between 9 and 10. These kinds of offers are beneficial for us.”

Paras Sharma, who works for DoorDash as a food delivery driver, said rising fuel costs are eating almost all his take home pay.

(Supplied)

Parabh Singh Vasir, who delivers for Uber Eats, shared similar concerns.

“What we are earning is going straight into our fuel tanks,” he said. “It is really expensive for us.”

Oil prices began to rise steeply after the U.S.-Israeli attack prompted Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest maritime oil transport route.

Roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil shipments and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies were immediately impacted, triggering an energy crisis that has swept across the globe. Canadian price spikes have not been as bad compared to countries that have to import all or most of their carbon-based energy.

Iranian leaders are threatening to push the price of crude oil to $200 (US) a barrel. The average in 2025 was about $69. 

Abishur Prakash, geopolitical strategist at The GeoPolitical Business, told The Pointer that oil prices could remain at or above the current rate for much of the year, if Iran chooses to use economic warfare as its main form of retaliation.

Iran’s foreign ministry recently rejected claims of positive talks that Donald Trump made, saying no such negotiations had happened and those comments were part of Trump’s effort to lower energy prices and buy time for his military plans.

According to En-Pro, gas prices in the GTA were about $1.27 a litre one year ago. The cost is expected to hit $1.84 tomorrow. That’s bad news for the thousands of Brampton gig workers who are now thinking twice about using their car to pay the bills…when the biggest bill is the one to drive in the first place.

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