First industry roundtable to discuss delivery rider safety
The NSW Government has held the first ever industry roundtable focusing on improving safety in the gig economy and food delivery industry.
Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson said yesterday’s roundtable enabled regulators involved in the industry to provide clear messaging to operators on workplace health and safety, road safety and other compliance measures.
“This is a new sector of the economy that is challenging the concept of a traditional workplace. We have now started the critical work to clarify the roles and responsibilities under NSW work health and safety laws for everyone in the gig economy and to provide clear and practical guidance on how to meet those obligations,” Mr Anderson said.
The roundtable included representatives from the major platforms including Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Menulog and Dominos, as well as drivers’ associations and trade unions. Government agencies included Transport for NSW, NSW Police, SafeWork and NSW Fair Trading.
The State’s first Food Delivery Rider Safety Action Plan will now be developed through the recently established Gig Economy Taskforce. The plan will deliver a tangible set of actions for drivers and operators.
“At the moment safety is managed differently from platform to platform and from rider to rider. We want to learn from what’s working well and identify new measures that can be introduced and turn that into practical guidelines that both platforms and contractors can rely on.”
“Everyone deserves to return home safely to their families at the end of the working day and it’s our priority to work alongside everyone involved in this sector to create meaningful safety improvements.”
Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the meeting was an important first step of the Gig Economy Taskforce.
“This Government is committed to making the roads safer for all road users, including food delivery riders, and this roundtable provided a great platform to lay the foundations for improvement,” Mr Constance said.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and we want to ensure both operators and drivers have the tools they need to make safe choices on the road.”