Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — At a time when delivery app bikes are spreading randomly on the roads, the Saudi Center for Opinion Polling (SCOP) revealed in its latest survey that 66 percent of the those participated in the survey witnessed reckless driving behavior on the part of delivery representatives. It was also found in the survey that 59 percent of the participants were upset with the way delivery representatives drive their bikes, Al Arabiya.net reported.

According to the SCOP, 49 percent of the participants were exposed to or witnessed a traffic accident in which one of the parties was a delivery boy, while 64 percent believe that the delivery representatives themselves do not observe safety standards when driving motorcycles.

Some of these drivers were found driving their bikes in opposite traffic directions, and riding their bikes on sidewalks originally designated for walking, in order to avoid traffic congestion so as to speed up the delivery of orders to customers.

The survey was carried out among 1,316 men and women. About 77 percent of the participants believe that delivery bike drivers facilitated the speed of delivery of orders, while some 66 percent believe that delivery by motorcycle reduces traffic congestion. In the same context, some application delivery representatives commit a number of professional violations of requirements approved by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, as well as the Transport General Authority.

The delivery bike drivers also found committing some other violations such as failure to wear an identification card specific to his profession in a visible place on his chest, continuing the delivery until late at night, which is inconsistent with the requirements of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, in addition to poor personal appearance and failure to adhere to the directive to wear official uniform while in duty.

The violations also include failure in face verification. When the customer receives his special order, he discovers that the representative who delivered the order is not the same person whose picture appeared on the delivery application, which some describe as manipulation and fraud. This is contrary to the requirements of quality of life that the Saudi government is striving to ensure in the lives of its citizens and residents.

Abdul Rahman Al-Murshid, a journalist, told Al Arabiya.net that the most prominent challenges facing road users on a regular basis include the rising number of traffic accident cases involving delivery app representatives, and traffic disruption caused by their motorcycles. He also sees that delivery app boys do not store food in suitable containers, as food boxes may be exposed to air, dust, and other things, which causes food contamination.

Al-Murshid highlighted the importance of the necessity of creating special lanes on highways within cities for delivery application drivers, suggesting that the width of that lane should not exceed 2 meters.