Parra News Feb 23 2021

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Tuesday, February 23, 2021
LOCAL NEWS
Push for safer delivery
State Government releases new guidelines to protect food delivery drivers
NICOLA BARTON
The safety of food delivery drivers
is at the forefront of new draft
guidelines released by the State
Government recently.
The guidelines have been put forward for
industry consultation, following a string of
food delivery rider fatalities last year.
Minister for Better Regulation Kevin
Anderson said the new guide is part of
the State Government’s commitment to
ensuring the health and safety of all food
delivery workers.
“We’ve developed these strategies in
partnership with industry to help food
delivery operators, drivers and restaurants
understand their obligations under
NSW Work Health and Safety Legislation,”
he said.
“The fast growth of the gig economy has
created uncertainty and confusion in the
sector about what each party should be
doing to comply with the law and what
protections should be in place, particularly
when it comes to food delivery riders
who are independently contracting to the
big platforms.”
Delivery rider Amit Kumar and City of Parramatta Councillor Sameer Pandey.
The guidelines outline existing hazards
in the industry, such as poorly maintained
bikes, fatigue and extreme weather conditions,
and the actions that must be taken
by delivery platforms, drivers and restaurants
to mitigate these risks.
“Safety is everyone’s responsibility and
this guide clarifies the role of the platform
operator, the rider and the restaurant to
ultimately make the gig economy a safer
workplace and to save lives,” Mr Anderson
said.
“The guidelines are about making sure
that industry participants understand
how the legislation we have in place
applies to them, to ensure that our laws
protect every worker in this state.”
Last year City of Parramatta Councillor
Sameer Pandey put forward a motion that
received unanimous support, seeking the
Council to implement safety and awareness
measures to improve the safety of
riders and pedestrians.
A report is currently being drafted to
be put forward at the March 22 Council
meeting. Cr Pandey welcomed the release
of the draft guidelines but said we need to
make sure providers are held accountable.
“There are a number of issues that need
to be addressed and there has to be a
collaborative approach with onus of safety
on the delivery platform providers such as
UberEats and Deliveroo,” he said.
“We need to make significant reforms
in the regulations, policies and practices
of delivery platforms and the government
should be at the forefront of this intervention
and not leave it just with the providers
to self-regulate.
“The platform providers must take full
legal and moral responsibility to provide a
safe workplace.”
The draft guidelines are projected to be
finalised as released as an Industry Safety
Action Plan in April.
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