{"id":242,"date":"2024-06-21T15:02:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T15:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/shaun-abreu\/?p=242"},"modified":"2024-06-24T15:04:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T15:04:44","slug":"gothamist-delivery-apps-in-nyc-could-be-held-responsible-for-workers-following-traffic-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/shaun-abreu\/2024\/06\/21\/gothamist-delivery-apps-in-nyc-could-be-held-responsible-for-workers-following-traffic-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Gothamist: Delivery apps in NYC could be held responsible for workers following traffic laws"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read the full article here.<\/a><\/p>\n

By Brittany Kriegstein<\/strong><\/p>\n

Delivery apps have deployed armies of e-bikes on the streets and sidewalks of New York City and the City Council is looking for ways to make those companies responsible for the myriad health and safety concerns that have erupted as a result.<\/p>\n

The Council\u2019s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection debated seven bills<\/a> on Friday morning meant to improve safety and working conditions for food delivery workers and the communities they serve. The bills each target long-standing issues and concerns around the delivery industry \u2013 from dangerous e-bike crashes and battery fires to low pay rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, delivery workers are essentially incentivized for speed, and their top priority is quickly completing their next delivery,\u201d said Councilmember Lynn Schulman during the hearing. \u201cThis often results in driving recklessly, often putting the lives of pedestrians at risk, as well as compromising their own safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three of the bills pertain to e-bikes and mopeds, which are the primary modes of transportation for as many as half<\/a> of the city\u2019s 65,000 delivery workers. The measures would make third-party delivery app companies like Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash responsible for ensuring the vehicles\u2019 safety and compliance with city regulations.<\/p>\n

One of the bills would require the app companies to provide e-bikes or similar vehicles to workers who can\u2019t provide their own safety-compliant vehicles. Deadly fires resulting from e-bikes with unregulated batteries and faulty chargers have increased<\/a> significantly throughout the city, prompting lawmakers and FDNY officials<\/a> to find ways to hold companies that manufacture the devices and promote their use accountable.<\/p>\n

Another bill would require the delivery apps to ensure that workers are obeying traffic laws at sidewalks and intersections by making them liable for any fines issued to workers who violate the rules. There were 23 fatal e-bike crashes<\/a> in 2023 compared to nine in 2022, according to city data. A study by CUNY researchers released in April found that 1 in 5 food delivery app workers said they had been injured while working<\/a>, and partly attributed the findings to app algorithms that it claimed may incentivize workers to take risks to deliver orders quickly.<\/p>\n

Schulman said the bill would give delivery workers 10 days to notify apps of any traffic fines or tickets, which she called an \u201cimportant safeguard\u201d for workers and companies alike to hold each other accountable for reckless behavior.<\/p>\n

The third bill would require the apps to make sure any mopeds used by delivery workers are properly registered. It comes as the NYPD has cracked down<\/a> on unlicensed mopeds it says are often used to commit crimes.<\/p>\n

The other four bills would further regulate pay rates and tips for delivery workers. One would require apps to solicit tips ahead of time or right when an order is placed \u2013 a change from the past, where some apps would only allow consumers to tip workers after checkout<\/a>. Another would establish standards for delivery workers\u2019 tips.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn response to their minimum wage agreement with deliveristas, delivery apps have retaliated by hiding the tip menu for consumers, knowing that deliveristas will lose out on meaningful earnings,\u201d said Councilmember Shaun Abreu, who sponsored several of the bills. \u201cWe’re talking about $85 million. That is insanity. And that difference would make the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another bill would establish more guidelines for the percentage of fees that apps are able to charge a restaurant and would expand how restaurants are able to advertise on apps.<\/p>\n

Councilmember Rafael Salamanca said it would ensure fairness in the industry by protecting restaurants \u201cfrom exploitation while helping them attract new customers on their terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

A final bill would call for more transparency from apps around workers\u2019 pay, requiring them to display a running tally of workers\u2019 trips, on-call time, and tips for any given pay period. The apps would also have to provide workers with itemized pay statements.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to know how people’s pay is getting calculated. We want to know their active time worked. For God’s sake, is this something that we have to fight for through legislation?\u201d Abreu said at the hearing. \u201cAny worker in this city should know their active time worked. They should know how their pay is getting calculated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re sending a message that we’re standing up for our deliveristas,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe’re sending a message that we’re standing up for working-class families.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read the full article here.<\/a><\/p>\n

By Brittany Kriegstein<\/strong><\/p>\n

Delivery apps have deployed armies of e-bikes on the streets and sidewalks of New York City and the City Council is looking for ways to make those companies responsible for the myriad health and safety concerns that have erupted as a result.<\/p>\n

The Council\u2019s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection debated <\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

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