Cracking Down on Food Delivery Workers in Cities
With the rise in demand for food delivery services in crowded cities, the need for drivers to deliver orders has also increased. However, complaints have surfaced about reckless driving by these workers, making the streets more dangerous. As a result, authorities in cities like Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. have started taking action against these practices.
Officials in these cities have started issuing warning letters to food service companies, seizing vehicles that are illegally registered or driven, and implementing special patrols to enforce speed limits. Similar crackdowns are also taking place in London and other cities in England. In New York City alone, authorities have already confiscated 13,000 illegally registered scooters and mopeds this year, with over 200 vehicles seized just last Wednesday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed concern about the impact of these delivery workers on pedestrians, especially seniors. He emphasized the need for aggressive enforcement to ensure that all riders follow traffic rules. Many of these delivery workers, who often come from working-class migrant backgrounds, argue that they are simply trying to earn a living and provide a quick service to customers.
However, some drivers do operate without licenses or on unregistered vehicles, leading to dangerous behaviors such as running red lights and riding on sidewalks. Despite this, many workers strive to comply with city regulations to work legally and safely. William Medina, a delivery worker in New York and a leader in the Los Deliveristas Unidos Campaign, blames delivery companies for imposing strict time constraints on workers, forcing them to rush to complete orders.
In response to the crackdowns, companies like Grubhub and DoorDash have stated that their employees will adhere to traffic laws. However, the issue of the pressure these apps place on workers to meet delivery deadlines remains unaddressed.