Council parking officers were out in force this week to help help ensure road safety for delivery drivers.
Food deliveries to the door have been growing in popularity, especially during and after the pandemic.
While the convenience of home deliveries has been welcomed by many busy residents and families, there are concerns about the road habits of some delivery drivers.
Some riders have been regularly parking on the pavements and non-parking areas of main high streets, causing an obstruction. And sometimes there are reports of them driving recklessly and in a way which makes them a danger to themselves and other road users.
That is why the council is working with online food delivery companies, such as Deliveroo, to educate food delivery drivers and cyclists on the do’s and don’ts of carrying out their work. The aim is to show them how they can improve safety for everyone by following the rules.
The council and Deliveroo joined forces at a rider roadshow event for new and existing riders to promote road safety.
The event, held in front of Ealing town hall on Thursday (5 October), gave riders the chance to speak with Deliveroo, council teams, and local police representatives about the growing food delivery service industry in the area, and to work together towards creating a safer and more sustainable delivery ecosystem.
The riders got free kits, including backpacks, small thermal bags, jackets and T-shirts. They were also able to get security bike markings, talk to council staff from the parking enforcement and the highways teams, and learn more about the benefits of swapping their motorbikes for a bicycle.
Councillor Deirdre Costigan, cabinet member for climate action, said: “We are tough when it comes to enforcing against illegal parking across our borough. We know how useful food deliveries are, so our work with food delivery companies to improve road safety is really important. These events are a great opportunity for us to talk directly to delivery drivers about how dangerous driving and illegal parking puts them at risk, and negatively affects our residents. We also spoke to lots of Deliveroo drivers today about how switching from a motorbike or scooter to a bicycle both makes good business sense and is good for the environment.”
As part of their commitment to road safety, Deliveroo regularly engages with their rider community, through roundtables and meetings.
Andy Batty, director of operations at Deliveroo, said: “We’ve seen huge growth in Deliveroo orders in Ealing, and it’s important to us that we continue delivering the best service possible for our customers, local restaurant partners, riders and the wider community. Our joint rider roadshow event with Ealing Council and the police underlines that commitment – promoting road safety, supporting rider wellbeing, and addressing any local issues or concerns.”
