Demand for food delivery has skyrocketed. So have complaints about some drivers (2024)

BOSTON (AP) — A soaring demand for food delivered fast has spawned small armies of couriers — and increasing alarm — in big cities where scooters, motorcycles and mopeds zip in and out of traffic and hop onto pedestrian-filled sidewalks as their drivers race to drop off salads and sandwiches.

Officials in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., have started cracking down on delivery companies by issuing warning letters, seizing illegally registered or driven vehicles, and launching special street patrols to enforce speed limits. The pushback is not limited to the U.S.: There have also been a series of crackdowns in London and other British cities.

For their part, the delivery companies have pledged to work with city officials to ensure that all of their drivers operate both legally and safely.

In a letter this week to food delivery companies DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber, Boston officials cited an “alarming increase in unlawful and dangerous operation of motorcycles, mopeds and motorized scooters” that they said put the drivers, other motorists and pedestrians “in imminent danger.”

The letter alleged that some drivers were operating unregistered vehicles and breaking traffic laws, and warned of an imminent crackdown on the vehicles. It also demanded that the companies explain how they can ensure their drivers are operating safely. The Massachusetts State Police said they identified dozens of mopeds and scooters that were improperly registered or being operated by unlicensed drivers. Fourteen illegal mopeds and scooters were seized Wednesday in one Boston neighborhood alone.

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In New York City, authorities have seized 13,000 scooters and mopeds so far this year; on Wednesday, they crushed more than 200 illegal mopeds and other delivery vehicles. Authorities in Washington, D.C., meanwhile, launched a program Wednesday called Operation Ride Right to ensure drivers of two-wheeled vehicles are complying with the law. Since it began, authorities have made five arrests and impounded 17 mopeds.

“They have terrorized many of our pedestrians, particularly our senior and older adults,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday at an event in which motorized two-wheeled delivery vehicles were destroyed. “Riders who think the rules don’t apply to them, they’re going to see an aggressive enforcement policy that’s in place.”

When food delivery services had their major resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic, most drivers used cars to deliver their fare. That led to increased traffic congestion, prompting a shift to motorcycles and other two-wheeled modes of transportation.

The drivers, many of them immigrants from Latin American countries but also from West Africa and South Asia, say they are just trying to earn a living and are providing a service that gets customers their food fast.

“We’re not all bad,” said Luis López, a delivery driver from the Dominican Republic who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday from his motorcycle in an area of multiple fast-food restaurants near the Boston Public Library. “We come to work, to earn a living, pay the rent and send something to our families.”

López, who came to the U.S. about three years ago, acknowledged that some drivers are unlicensed or driving unregistered vehicles, and he’s seen them running red lights and onto sidewalks, menacing pedestrians. Some people are so reckless that they’re also putting other delivery drivers at risk, he said.

He said he was among a group of 10 delivery drivers outside a Chick-fil-A on Thursday night when a police officer approached them with a flyer describing how to register their scooters and mopeds. The whole group agreed to do just that.

“We have to respect the law,” he said, speaking in Spanish. “We are going to respect the law so that they let us work here.”

Drivers of motorized two-wheeled vehicles are coming under much more scrutiny than was faced years ago by other gig workers in cars, such as Uber and Lyft drivers, because they can more easily violate traffic laws, said Hilary Robinson, an associate professor of law and sociology at Northeastern University.

The switch to the vehicles “is really an attempt to make low-wage, high-risk labor available so that all of us can have cheap goods and services,” Robinson said. “It’s perhaps one of the reasons why people are starting to realize that there really is no such thing as a free lunch.”

William Medina, a delivery worker in New York who is also an organizing leader with the Los Deliveristas Unidos Campaign, blames the delivery companies.

“This is a problem that started because the companies force you to complete the deliveries from far distances,” he said in a telephone interview Friday. Medina started out delivering food on a bicycle, switched to an electric bike, and now is using a moped to make the longer trips.

“If you have to complete the delivery 6 miles, 7 miles, you have to complete it,” he said.

Among those advocating for tougher enforcement in Boston is City Councilor Edward Flynn, who said on Facebook that it “can no longer be the Wild West on the streets of Boston.”

“Everyone using city roads needs to abide by the rules of the road. If you’re able to go 25 mph like a car — you should be licensed, registered, and carry liability insurance in the event of an accident and injury,” he wrote.

Some Boston residents are supportive of tougher action against the scooters.

“I get frustrated when they don’t follow the traffic laws,” said Anne Kirby, a 25-year-old student having lunch in a Boston neighborhood within a few hundred feet of several scooters. “I feel like I almost get hit every day when they go through the crosswalk when it’s not their turn to go.”

But Jaia Samuel, a 25-year-old hospital worker from Boston, was more conflicted. She said she agreed that delivery scooters can be dangerous, but she also acknowledged that she relies heavily on delivery services for her food.

“I do think it’s unsafe to an extent, the weaving in between cars and the not stopping for red lights,” she said. “But I feel like everybody should be able to make a living, so who am I to say anything? It would be unfortunate for me. I would be taking a hit with the crackdown on them. I order a lot of Uber Eats, DoorDash.”

Three major food delivery services have pledged to work with officials and neighborhood advocates to address the problem.

“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 said in a statement Wednesday.

Grubhub said its employees already agree to obey all local traffic laws. “While enforcement of the law is best handled by the police, we take safety seriously and will take action to address any reports of unsafe driving,” the company said in a statement Thursday.

___

Associated Press writers Michael Warren in Decatur, Georgia, and Lisa J. Adams Wagner in Evans, Georgia, contributed to this report.

Demand for food delivery has skyrocketed. So have complaints about some drivers (2024)

FAQs

What delivery service makes the most money as a driver? ›

Instacart is recognized as the food delivery app with the best initial compensation for its drivers. On average, drivers for Instacart can earn about $30 per hour, with a typical range of $26 to $32 per hour, which can vary based on the city.

Should food delivery drivers be tipped? ›

So along with restaurant workers (who often only earn a low tipped minimum wage), tips are non-negotiable across the board. No exceptions! How much should I tip food delivery drivers? So we've already established that you have to tip, and ideally you're giving close to 15 to 20 percent.

What are the dangers of food delivery drivers? ›

In some cases, drivers endure assaults and carjackings and still return to the road, albeit more afraid and careful. But there also have been fatal incidents, including when a Pakistani immigrant driving for Uber Eats was killed near Nationals Park in 2021 after two teenage girls tried to steal his Honda Accord.

What is the busiest food delivery service? ›

With a market share of 67 percent, DoorDash dominated the online food delivery market in the United States as of March 2024. Meanwhile, Uber Eats held the second highest share with 23 percent.

What pays better than DoorDash? ›

Based on what drivers make per delivery, Uber appears to come out on top. These are 2022 numbers for median deliveries per order. Although Uber Eats earnings per trip are 18% higher compared to DoorDash, DoorDash drivers complete 1.5 trips for every trip completed by an Uber Eats driver.

Does DoorDash or Uber Eats pay more? ›

According to SmallBizTrends, most DoorDash drivers earn between $15 and $25 per hour. ZipRecruiter found that the average earnings on DoorDash is $19 per hour, the same as it found for Uber Eats.

Is it rude to not tip delivery? ›

Most food delivery providers encourage customers to tip drivers, even if they're paying delivery fees, especially if the driver had to ride in the rain or if they had to put in some extra effort delivering an exceptionally large order.

Do Grubhub drivers get paid besides tips? ›

Delivery partners earn delivery pay + 100% of their tips for every completed order. Plus, you can complete Missions and participate in sweepstakes or other special offers to boost pay. Learn more about how Grubhub delivery partners are paid.

Why is the delivery fee not a tip? ›

Delivery fees do not compensate the driver directly. Instead, they are typically used to cover the cost of gas, insurance, parking tickets, and other company expenses related to transporting your food.

What happens if a Doordash driver eats your food? ›

Doordash directs its drivers to not open food containers or tamper with the order in any way. If a customer suspects food tampering, the company states it will deactivate the driver's account. Overall, restaurant food delivery services are a growing business, transforming the way people receive their meals.

Do delivery drivers tamper with food? ›

Fortunately, it does not happen very often, but one valid concern amongst people who utilize food delivery services is the possibility of their food being tampered with by a food delivery driver. Tampering can take on many forms, each more unpleasant than the next.

Do delivery drivers eat customers food? ›

79% of food-delivery drivers admitted to eating customers' food, according to a 2022 survey by Circuit, a last-mile tech startup.

What is the highest paid food delivery driver? ›

Comparison List. The food delivery service that pays the most is Metrobi with $35 an hour. The second one is Uber Eats, with drivers reporting earning as much as $20 an hour. Postmates drivers make around $18.08 per hour on average.

Are food delivery services declining? ›

The meal delivery industry as a whole is continuing to see some growth, though at much lower rates than those pandemic peaks. Our data analytics show that in March 2024, observed sales for major meal delivery services grew 8 percent year-over-year, collectively.

Who pays more, Uber Eats or Instacart? ›

Uber driving remains one of the highest-earning gigs, above Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, and Grubhub.

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