Mumbai: 174 food delivery agents booked for traffic violation

In an attempt to bring down the number of offences pertaining from rash driving to jumping traffic signals, the Mumbai Traffic Police (MTP) has started to penalise errant riders of food delivery applications. A day after executives of food delivery applications were summoned by senior traffic officials to make them adhere to traffic norms, the cops on Tuesday booked total 174 riders for violating rules. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) have also been requested to cancel the license of repeat offenders.

The traffic police have started issuing e-challans against the defaulters and are ready to take all possible action in order to reduce complaints that have been pouring in on social media as well as reported by consumers commenting on the feedback walls of app-based food delivery platforms. “The reckless food delivery boys have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act for illegal parking, riding without helmets, jumping signals, speeding, rash driving, entering the wrong lane among others,” said a police officer.

Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic) said, “Action was long overdue after we received complaints of delivery boys riding on the footpaths to deliver the food within the deadline. Traffic police have already asked the food delivery companies to set a realistic deadline and not violate the laws to keep their unrealistic promises.”

Furthermore, the police asked food delivery apps to not hire these habitual traffic rule violators or agents involved in other offences, so that the menace was brought under control. Representatives of food-ordering apps were asked to educate their delivery agents on traffic rules and conduct regular counselling and training sessions for them. Moreover, police have also asked the owners to disconnect the apps of the riders who are habitual offenders and have e-challans served to them. A senior traffic police officer said licence of the habitual offenders, who are caught breaking traffic rules, will be cancelled.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of a food delivery application told DNA that the safety of delivery partners and other commuters and pedestrians was of utmost importance to them. “In Mumbai like in the rest of the country, we have an on-going Safety First program with the aim to make roads safer for both the delivery partners and citizens. The mandatory program enables extensive sensitization, awareness and training of its delivery partners on the various nuances of road safety including guidelines to ensure safer riding experience, emergency management, accident response, safety for self and emergency victims and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation techniques,” said the spokesperson. He added that efforts were being made to urge the delivery partners to strictly abide by the rules and any instance of traffic violation that is brought to their notice is dealt with immediate investigation followed by suspension.