Food delivery APPs have driven the takeaway food industry into mayhem recently with East coast authorities cracking down on road safety.
The three main contenders, Baidu Waimai, Eleme and Meituan, give incentives to their couriers for making swift deliveries. Unfortunately, this has led to bedlam on the roads of major cities as pedestrians and other e-bike riders bear the brunt of it.
Food delivery drivers have been accused of running red lights, using cell phones whilst driving, riding in motor vehicle lanes and reckless driving.
At the end of the first half of 2017, Nanjing traffic police released data that claimed food delivery drivers were the main cause of over 3,200 road accidents, resulting in 2,473 injuries and three deaths.
As a result, Nanjing authorities invited Baidu Waimai, Eleme and McDonalds to discuss rules which the government intends to implement. Said rules include letters signed by drivers committing themselves to following traffic rules, a credit system which rewards good driver behaviour as well as safety training.
Nanjing authorities have essentially shunned the business models of these delivery APPs and do not agree with creating speed competition amongst drivers. In addition to joint meetings, the government has solicited opinions from the public regarding online delivery platforms.
Eleme bought Baidu Waimai for a believed US$800 million in August, showing a shift in power for the open delivery market. The whole market is suspected to be worth some US$37 billion.
Nanjing authorities have also considered capping the amount of deliveries one driver can take at a time. As it stands, all orders are up for grabs, allowing any driver to pick it up, even if that driver already has more than he/she can handle.
An excess of chopsticks, personalised packaging and plastic cutlery have also been blamed for creating extra waste and damaging the environment. Environmental groups have already started taking legal action against delivery companies as a result.
