Mumbai: Traffic chaos take bite out of delivery apps’ success

Food delivery apps like Swiggy, Zomato, Uber Eats, which have proven to be a boon for thousands of hassled time-crunched customers in the city, have also been accused of causing traffic chaos and disruption. Such is the problem that residents from areas like Matunga, Ghatkopar, Kandivali, etc. have even approached authorities seeking action against the delivery boys of these services. They claim the delivery agents drive rashly and park haphazardly, leading to traffic snarls.

“Just a couple of days ago, the traffic police cleared several motorcycles parked on the footpaths outside restaurants in Kings Circle. We made several complaints to BMC and Traffic police about this, but to no avail,” said Nikhil Desai, a resident of Matunga.

Locals here claim that any point in time, at least 10-12 bikes are parked on the footpaths, making it difficult for people to walk. “We launched a training programme, ‘Safety First’, with the aim of making roads safer for delivery partners and citizens both. We don’t levy any penalty on unforeseen delays with deliveries. We urge our riders to follow traffic rules and parking etiquette. We strongly discourage delivery partners from causing disruption or inconvenience to others,” a spokesperson for Swiggy said.

The companies have also said they are talking to restaurants to provide dedicated parking space for their delivery boys. “We are also educating our delivery partners to follow all traffic norms and etiquettes. We are happy to extend any help or support to the authorities too,” a Zomato spokesperson said.

Uber Eats did not respond to an email sent on this issue.