More than two months after a spate of delivery rider deaths on Sydney roads, a SafeWork NSW taskforce has found riders’ lack of familiarity with NSW road rules and the use of “poorly maintained and unsafe” bicycles or motorbikes were common hazards that led to injuries.
The Gig Economy Joint Taskforce was set up to investigate after four fatal traffic incidents in late 2020, and on Monday issued draft guidelines to food delivery companies and riders, in a bid to provide better protection for workers.
Two men working for Uber Eats died following collisions in late September, while another fatality occurred in November after a crash with a car at Rockdale in Sydney’s south.
A fourth man died after being hit by a truck carrying an excavator in Redfern in November.
Unrealistic delivery times need to change
The taskforce said common hazards that needed to be managed included “unsafe