HOME DELIVERY SERVICES:

Personal counselling and crisis-support services say they have been inundated with calls from desperate people shocked by the sudden decision by home delivery service Deliveroo to withdraw from the Australian market.

Services including Lifeline, Beyond Blue, the Black Dog Institute, and even Triple-0 emergency call centres in all states and territories have reported receiving a deluge of calls following Deliveroo’s announcement.

A spokesperson for Lifeline said the news had caught many Australians off guard and most were now struggling to cope with the absence of underpaid and contractually insecure workers pedalling unlit bikes on dark and dangerous streets to bring overpriced and lukewarm take-away food to their doors.

“Our emergency counselling lines have been jammed by people, many in tears, who say they don’t know how they will cope without Deliveroo,” the spokesperson said.

“They paint terribly bleak visions of starving in their own homes, unable to feed themselves.

“It doesn’t seem to help when our counsellors patiently explain to callers that they can buy their own food by walking or driving to local shops.

“It appears to be a totally foreign concept to them, so I suspect we are about to see the advent of a whole new social crisis across Australia and everyone needs to brace for the impacts.”

One Brisbane couple who spoke to The Bug confirmed Lifeline’s fears.

“We just don’t know what to do and where to turn,” said Cal Kale of West End, pictured above in happier times with her boyfriend Milo Spoon.

“We’ve exhausted all options since we heard the Deliveroo announcement.

“We’ve both posted some ironic tweets using very pointed hashtags and Milo rushed out to get an artisanal tattoo. I mean, what else can we do?

“I guess we now just have to wait for a slow and painful death,” Ms Kale said.