… who is also an urban planning graduate!
Food delivery riders work in tough conditions in NSW. Like all bike riders, they are faced with disconnected bike infrastructure which often provides no option but to mix with traffic. The dangers are increased by the need to work at night, in poor weather conditions and under time pressures. What’s more, restaurants are generally concentrated on high streets where governments have struggled to create safe space for cycling.
Bike-based workers are a ‘canary in the coal-mine’ for road safety problems that have been ignored for far too long.
A spate of tragic deaths of migrant workers using bikes in late 2020 exposed dangerous work practices and pressures by food delivery companies.
Bicycle NSW was very involved with lobbying for systemic change. Some articles documenting this advocacy in 2020 and 2021 can be found here. More recently, we have worked with platforms to improve their safety training and rider education.
Things have improved
In many areas, there is more safe infrastructure for riders. The platforms must provide basic induction training now as well as hi-vis clothing, lights and helmets. The apps have been modified to help make the work safer - they provide riders with bike-friendly route suggestions, allow adequate time between jobs, and block access while riding. SafeWork NSW has resources for riders and platforms in several languages.
However, there is a long way to go
Safe infrastructure still missing in many of the places where riders congregate – think King St in Newtown, Bondi Road and Oxford Street. Many of the e-bikes rented to riders are dangerous and illegal. There are gaps in riders' knowledge of the road rules.
Most importantly, none of the work undertaken to improve safety for delivery workers has addressed a core issue - the poor behaviour of motor vehicle drivers.
What else would make working conditions better for delivery workers?
Bicycle NSW is lucky to have a volunteer content writer who works in the industry. Harrison Lo is a recent Macquarie University Bachelor of Planning graduate. In this article, Harrison shares some great ideas that urban planners and the platforms could implement to make life a bit better for workers who use bikes.
Harrison Lo at work for UberEats on Sydney’s Broadway (Image: Harrison Lo)
Three main challenges
I became a bike deliverer for DoorDash and Uber Eats for a few months while I was trying to secure permanent employment in urban planning. Working as a deliverer has not only allowed me to explore the city. It also exposes some urban issues for the inner city.
Lack of places to rest, insecure bike parking and high bike rental costs pose a huge challenge to delivery workers. I have some suggestions for governments and the platforms!
Nowhere to sit between gigs
There are sufficient resting spaces in Sydney’s CBD with a good supply of benches and other street furniture in areas like World Square, Town Hall, Central, Chinatown and Broadway.
However, there is not enough resting space in Newtown. Deliverers usually sit on the floor to wait for orders in restaurant hotspots around the Newtown Station and King Street. The narrow footpaths are often blocked by the riders and their bikes, annoying pedestrians.
And of course, riders make more money when the weather is at its worst. That is when customers stay at home and reach for phones. So we are exposed to long hours outside, often in wet and cold conditions.
Delivery riders waiting for the next job on a busy and narrow footpath (Image: SBS)
Suggestions:
The platform apps should allocate orders to deliverers who wait in parks and public buildings in Newtown. Possible locations are Enmore Park, Newtown Library and Hollis Park.
A gig-worker hub should be set up for delivery drivers with snacks, water, visa and labour protection information. The one in Melbourne is a great model. It provides an indoor space for gig workers to rest and facilitates connection between different riders.
Riders take a break at the Gig Workers’ Hub in Melbourne (Image: Gig Workers’ Hub)
Nowhere to secure a bike during deliveries
There is usually no bike parking rack, or even a conveniently located pole, at the entrance of apartment buildings. This is a particular problem in older areas including Pyrmont, Redfern and Glebe. Some customers require delivery riders to go up to their unit and bikes cannot be taken into apartment lobbies.
It poses huge inconvenience and safety concerns to the deliverer when there is nowhere to safety chain up a bike.
And when good bike parking does exist – like the excellent indoor end-of-trip facilities in shopping malls such as World Square, Broadway, Zetland East Village – these are often under-utilised and hidden away. Many staff, tenants and visitors do not know that indoor bike parking space exists.
Not many people know about the excellent World Square bike hub! (Image: Harrison Lo)
Suggestions:
DCPs should ensure that there is some bike parking at the entrance of every apartment building. Of course, this would also benefit residents and their visitors.
Deliverers should be able to refuse a delivery to customers in apartment building if they believe that is unsafe to leave their bikes on the street.
Shopping malls should work with their tenants to create really clear signage about the location and use of indoor bike parking facilities.
This apartment building in Green Square has excellent bike hoops just outside the front door (Image: Harrison Lo)
Bike rental prices are too high
Renting an electric bike usually costs $70-90 per week. This is too expensive as it nearly equals to a rider’s daily wage. This calculation is based on a delivery worker earning $80-100 per day if he gets 10 orders in an eight-hour shift and each order worth $8-10.
A pricelist for e-bike rental from a store in Sydney (Image: Harrison Lo)
Suggestion:
The platform should be responsible for the bike rental cost if the deliverer has to rent their own device.
A better city for deliverers would be better for everyone!
The explosion of bike use for food delivery has heightened the call for more separated infrastructure and safer streets. This is slow work for cities. But even small changes to the public realm could make a big difference to the conditions for delivery workers.
And all bicycle riders would benefit!
One more thing….
Please join Bicycle NSW and support our advocacy for better infrastructure and safer streets. You will also ride easy, covered by our comprehensive insurance and enjoy many other Member-only benefits.
Bicycle NSW has been campaigning for a better environment for bike riding for almost 50 years. It is the only bicycle advocacy group based in NSW with full time staff advocating every day for all riders. But did you know that we are funded only by membership fees and donations?
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