Deliveroo criticised for letting inexperienced riders loose without lights

Seems to be a common theme of these new "disruptive" app company's like uber, air b'n'b, deliveroo..they rely on a freelance workforce so the 'company' is not liable for their activities. Merely providing a peer to peer connection?

There have been numerous reports in the media of air bnb rented property's being trashed, uber cars being crashed injuring passenger and technically the app company not liable?

How long before a deliveroo cyclist gets run over and a lack of road training or proper check of the vehicle (I.e. faulty brakes, no lights) is seen as a mitigating cause?

Cannot see the use of self employed / freelance workforce as a suitable method to build a new business. Yet these new tech companies which are fawned over by investors and business leaders are of course profitable because they are not exposed to fixed payroll costs and proper training / fleet to minimise liability risks that "employers" with its own workforce have to shoulder.

It's not correct to say that training isn't the best option. If you truly think about it, it's the only viable option the company can do (besides equipment). The things I've learned from bicycle training courses have saved my life on more than one occasion, and more so than any helmet could have.

One option for the company would be to train a member of staff as a cycle instructor (sometimes free!) that can train all new employees on a one day training course, and making it clear to employees that if they do not adhere to what they learned in the training, disciplinary action will be taken.

I'm not saying this will stop people texting on their phones and going through red-lights, people do that at their own risk, they know it's illegal, and it's no fault of the company.

And Beefy, cycle trainers don't make a lot of money. In fact, I could probably make more delivering pizzas.

Bikeability instructor.

I don't want to see _anyone_ riding like a plonker and/or without lights after dark.  It's a legal requirement for the very good reason that it's damn near impossible to see an unlit bike in the dark.

It's only more noticeable that the Deliveroo riders are without lights because they stick out with a big logoed box.  

Is this terribly different to bike couriers or are they "better" because of the counter-culture image?

I don't get how the drivers can be "Freelance". Can they deliver for other companies? - I'm guessing not. Are they riding in liveried jackets provided by the company? - Yes Are they solely carrying out work for the company? - Yes

I just don;t understand how this counts as being self-employed.

one of them went passed me last week on his phone texting! In heavy rush hour London traffic!

I would say that they need training. It's quite obvious that some do not have a clue.

The infrastructure is not changing anytime soon and so they need to know how to be safe. At present most of them appear to be a liability.

Training is not the answer, making the roads safer is, and while I don't condone those cycling without lights, the use of lights between sunset and sunrise is a legal requirement, the use of helmets is not. Comments about helmets, earphones and filtering through traffic, none of these is illegal, they are just part of the victim blaming mentality, which should be stopped.

It is far better to have people on bike doing these sort of deliveries that moped riders with L-plates who are a clear danger to themselves and others.

Their moped and bicycle riders in London are shockingly badly behaved, real amateurs. See their bicycle delivery riders every day riding without lights, wearing headphones, riding one handed navigating with smart phone, through red lights, against one way traffic, up onto pavement...

If the delivery guys are freelance then Deliveroo doesn't have a responsibility to provide helmets and lights, but I would have thought that it does have a responsibility to ensure that its riders comply with the law (ie. No lights = not street legal = no job).

How long does it take to organise lights ? Send message to all riders that lights are required, and any rider found outside daylight hours without will be removed from the list of riders. Give them a maximum price, or preferred light type from a national chain such as Halfords and tell them to submit receipt with next payclaim, and pay it. It is ultimately the riders responsibility to ride within the law, offering to pay for lights is simply a sweetner to encourage them to do so.

If they expect the employee to supply own bike, then I'd expect them to have lights as well as a basic legal requirement at the appropriate times.

Can they train their moped riders too? You know, not to ride like dicks?*

*not all of them obviously, but some...

Is there really a need for training? If there is shouldn't all cyclist be trained? What next cycling  test for all? I think perhaps a way fot cycle trainers to make more money from the poor riders who are already being ripped off with poor pay. However, they should say no lights, no work. Surley helmets would make the riding more dangerous