A residents group in Glasgow has called for food delivery riders to wear jackets with identifiable numbers so they can be tracked down and have their insurance and registration checked, while claiming that many cyclists are “careful and courteous riders, but others are putting people’s lives at risk”.
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC), a residents’ forum and pressure group based in Glasgow said that the move is necessary because of the number of “collisions and near misses” that have occurred in the city centre over the past few years and they are calling on both parliaments and police to take action.
The news comes months after the police launched a crackdown on “dangerous” delivery cyclists in the city, following an incident in which a cyclist had been left “terrified” by a crash with a courier riding in the wrong direction in a cycle lane at high speed.
Glasgow Times reports that an MCTCC spokesperson said: “These e-bikers are predominantly food delivery drivers working on behalf of companies like Deliveroo and Just Eat.
“Their machines are often not fitted with a speed limiter, restricting them to the UK’s legal maximum level of 15.5 miles per hour. It’s common to see them riding on pavements and pedestrian walkways, often without lights after dusk.
“Many such cyclists are careful and courteous riders, but others are putting people’s lives at risk by driving far too fast in the wrong areas. Making them wear an identifiable jacket or bag would help track down an offender and allow their insurance policy and registration to be checked.
“We are demanding that measures are introduced quickly before more people get hurt – or worse.”
MTCC members said that they have discussed their concerns with senior Glasgow police, MSP Kaukab Stewart and Alison Thewliss, who was the MP for Glasgow Central, and were told meetings have been held with the management of the main food delivery companies.
Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, said: “After meeting with Merchant City and Trongate Community Council and constituents to hear their concerns, I have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to enquire what powers the Scottish Parliament and local authorities have on introducing any licensing or insurance requirements.
“I take the concerns raised with me very seriously and believe we need to share our travel routes responsibly. I will continue to liaise with Police Scotland regarding this matter, and have been reassured that they are continuing to take action where breaches of the highway code and other relevant legislation are being observed.”
Superintendent Steven Meikle, Greater Glasgow Division, said: “The issue of illegal e-bikes and dangerous riding in the city centre was identified as a top road safety concern, with police receiving complaints directly from the public and other sources.
“In response to complaints, officers have carried out proactive enforcement in the city. Officers have also been speaking to users as our focus is on educating riders on safety and legislative requirements, however, where necessary, we will use enforcement action.
“We all need to be responsible for each other’s safety, and that means cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, have to abide by the rules of the road.”
Meanwhile, a Just Eat spokesperson has said that the safety of couriers, road users and the public is a “key priority” for the company and all couriers delivering on their behalf “must ensure they follow all local laws and rules of the road”.
They said: “If we are ever made aware that a courier delivering on our behalf has acted in a way that does not uphold the standards we hope to deliver, we do not hesitate in taking action, which could include revoking the courier from our network.”
A spokesperson for Deliveroo added: “Road safety is of the utmost priority for Deliveroo. During the onboarding process, every rider completes a programme of road safety guidance and is required to meet minimum safety standards.
“As with all road users, riders must follow all local traffic laws and road regulations. We also hold regular rider roadshows which involve engagement with local councils and riders on road safety issues relevant to the area.
“If incidents are reported to us we investigate and work with the authorities to take appropriate action where necessary.”
In November, police in Glasgow responded to safety concerns from cyclists and a cycling charity about food delivery couriers riding illegal e-bikes dangerously in the city.
Police Scotland said it was “targeting those riding illegally modified electric bikes capable of going at high speeds”, the comments coming in the same week Cycling Scotland had called on food delivery companies to provide couriers “effective training around cycling safety" and check the bikes they ride “are legal and road-worthy”.
Cycling Scotland's road safety manager said food delivery companies should be doing more to ensure riders' bikes are legal and effective training on cycling safety is provided.
“A simple thing would be are companies actually checking the bikes that the riders are using to make sure that they are legal?” he said. “If the riders are given effective training around cycling safety, if their bikes are checked to make sure that their bikes are legal and road worthy and if they're given effective training and support and the right safety equipment then I'm sure that would make a difference.”
And in February this year, an SNP councillor from Glasgow urged delivery riders to learn and obey the Highway Code, after his peers brought up a proposal of licence plates of insurance for cyclists due to concerns about traffic offences committed by cyclists.
However, the council confirmed that it will not support such measures, citing a “significant detrimental impact” on active travel. Councillor Millar said: “A licencing system or insurance requirement for delivery riders would likely require legislative change, likely at UK Government level.
“It should be noted that it is unclear how any such legislation or regulations could be targeted at a specific user group as opposed to all people on bikes, and it is not known how it would be enforced.
“The council would not support any general move to introduce licencing requirements for cycling as this would have a significant detrimental impact on our agreed active travel behaviour change efforts.”