City of Boston Letter To Food Delivery Companies

City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wat June 3, 2024 Tony Xu Chief Executive Officer DoorDash Howard Midgal Chief Executive Officer GrubHub Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty Senior Vice President, Delivery Uber Technologies Re: Dangerous and Unlawful Behavior by Delivery Drivers Dear Mr. Xu, Mr. Midgal and Mr. Gore-Coty, The City of Boston is writing to you as a leader in the food delivery business in Boston because of an alarming increase in unlawful and dangerous operation of motorcycles, mopeds, and motorized scooters by drivers offering delivery services for your companies, Many of these drivers are operating unregistered vehicles. We have witnessed widespread and ongoing incidents of running red lights, driving on city sidewalks, driving the wrong way down one-way streets, driving at speeds in excess of posted limits, and collisions. This type of operation puts the delivery driver, and any pedestrian or driver of a motor vehicle who encounters them, in imminent danger. ‘Our residents’ concems echo those of City officials. We expect all companies operating in the City of Boston to prioritize the safety of our residents and visitors. The consistent failure of those operating on your behalf to abide by rules and regulations indicates a concerning lack of oversight and care in regard to public safety. ‘The City has begun distributing materials to your drivers, restaurants that use your service, and the general public. These materials make clear the obligations your companies have to ensure that delivery drivers for your companies, and all of those on our streets, utilize vehicles registered with the Commonwealth and comply with the City of Boston Traffic Rules and Regulations, These materials have been translated into the top eleven languages used in Boston and are being distributed on the street and digitally. We ask that you also use your own communications channels to send out the materials to all drivers that your companies work with who operate in the Boston area. A copy of the materials is attached. CITY ¢ BOSTON 1 CITY HALL SQUARE BOSTON, MA 02201‘This letter further serves to put you on notice of your responsibilities as a service provider operating in the City, including under MGL e, 90 § 12. You must ensure delivery drivers operating on your behalf understand and abide by the relevant statutory requirements and local regulations when operating within the City, The Boston Police Department is increasing enforcement actions to address unlawful and unsafe behavior connected to delivery services, including issuing citations for traffic violations pursuant to M.G.L.¢. 90, § 1B, 540 CMR 2.00, the Traffic Rules And Regulations of the City of Boston, and other state and local laws, including operating a motorcycle, moped, or motorized scooter without a driver's license or learner's permit; driving a motorcycle, moped, or motorized scooters without a license plate or registration decal; operating a moped or motorized scooter on the sidewalk; and other violations of traffic regulations. These violations can result in monetary penalties, loss of license, and seizure of vehicles. The City will consider your company responsible for continued violations by drivers operating on your behalf, These dangerous behaviors cannot continue, To determine what steps your companies are taking to ensure safety and compliance with the laws, we formally request a written response to the following questions by Friday, June 7: © How does your company verify that drivers are licensed, utilizing a properly registered vehicle(s), and do not have a history of unsafe driving? ‘© Regarding motoreyele, moped, and motorized scooter usage, what safety and regulatory training, safety testing, and/or safety equipment do new and existing workers receive? Please provide Boston- and/or Massachusetts-specific training materials. ‘® How does your company track reported safety violations and what steps do you take to address driver behavior when safety issues are identified? * How do you prevent account sharing by drivers or vehicle substitution that could result in unapproved drivers or vehicles being used? © What other steps, if any, are you taking to ensure safe vehicle operations by yout drivers? @ What data is available to help us understand your operations, volume of deliveries at locations throughout the city and the types of delivery vehicles used? ‘We await your response to these questions. Michael A. Cox Jascha Franklin-Hodge Boston Police Commissioner Chief of Streets, City of Bostonco: Mike Brohel, Superintendent of Basie City Services Mike Firestone, Chief of Policy and Strategic Planning, City of Boston Nick Gove, Commissioner, Boston Transportation Department

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