Food delivery is big business right now and people like it, but Boston says it needs to be safer.
“I’ll see people on the scooters drive-through red lights and whatnot. It’s like they’re not paying attention to the rules of the road,” one woman said.
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The city is warning large companies like Uber, GrubHub and DoorDash to do a better job of policing their drivers. It says many of them are making deliveries on unregistered mopeds and scooters. They’ve also been spotted running red lights, traveling on sidewalks and speeding.
“We know a lot of these are just hard-working drivers who are trying to put food on the table for their own families and that it comes back to the companies who need to take responsibility,” Mayor Michelle Wu said.
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Stacy Thompson with LivableStreets Alliance says the business model for these corporations is part of the problem.
“They basically don’t care if these folks have appropriate vehicles, and they have to go fast as they can to earn a buck,” she said.
In statements to NBC10 Boston - all the companies said safety is a top priority and they’re willing to work with the city on these issues.
“As we have time and time again, we will work with the City to educate couriers that use the Uber platform. At Uber, safety is always a top priority," an Uber spokesperson wrote.
“While enforcement of the law is best handled by the police, we take safety seriously, and any reports of unsafe driving will result in removal from our platform," Grubhub said in a statement.
“The overwhelming majority of Dashers do the right thing and like all drivers must follow the rules of the road. If they don’t, then they face consequences – just like anyone else,” DoorDash told NBC10 Boston.
