A road safety campaigner has called for a shake-up in the delivery industry to reduce the number of accidents involving riders on UAE's roads.
Transport authorities across the country have already introduced travel restrictions for riders, in a critical drive to save lives. Police in Dubai and Sharjah announced last year that delivery riders would be barred from high-speed lanes, while in May the authorities in Abu Dhabi barred riders from using roads with speed limits of 120kph or more.
Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE, said delivery companies must also step up to protect riders.
"Every single brand, every single retail brand is drumming the same drum, which is speed of delivery. And this is going extremely against the health and well-being of the riders," he told The National. "The regulators must mandate a maximum number of rides per day, off times, recovery times.
"The entire set-up of the employment contracts must be revisited. We must move away from performance-based, commission-based compensation for the riders towards fixed salaries."
Enforcement action
Dubai Police last year recorded 962 accidents that resulted from traffic offences committed by delivery riders – up from 854 in 2024. About 150,000 traffic offences were linked to delivery riders during those years, police said.
Delivery riders in Dubai are to face fines of Dh500 ($136) for breaching the lane restriction rules, rising to Dh700 for a second offence. Riders will have their licences suspended if they breach the rules a third time.
Figures shared by Abu Dhabi Mobility, which oversees public transport in the emirate, showed there were 72 serious accidents involving delivery riders between 2023 and 2025. The authority said 22 per cent of rider deaths during the same period occurred on roads with speed limits of at least 120kph.
Stepping up support
Dr Mustafa Aldah, from MA Traffic Consulting in Dubai, said the focus should not only be on curbing reckless riding but also on offering additional protections for delivery workers. He proposes a monitoring system to assess whether they are ready to ride on the UAE's roads.
"They don't have airbags, they don't have seatbelts, they don't have roll cages," he said. "There's a lot that can be done and I hope businesses who are attentive to the bottom line can do more. I think everyone needs to work together – the drivers, the companies and the government."
Swapping bikes for cars
Deliveroo, one of the leading food delivery companies in the UAE, has adapted its operations since the road restrictions were announced. That includes updating routes for riders and using cars in areas where motorcycles are no longer permitted.
Yazan Aburaqabeh, director of operations at Deliveroo, said the changes had led to a "period of adjustment", but added that the company fully supported efforts to improve road safety.
"Road safety is a shared priority across the industry and we recognise that the updated regulations have been introduced with the objective of enhancing safety for riders and other road users," he said.
Mr Aburaqabeh said the increased use of cars for deliveries also brought challenges. "Car-based deliveries can, in some circumstances, take longer than bike deliveries due to factors such as traffic conditions and parking requirements," he said.
"We are also mindful of making sure we do not add unnecessary pressure to road congestion throughout the city. We are very much in a transition phase and are learning and adapting in real-time."
Deliveroo hopes to be included in discussions with authorities on further steps to improve rider safety. "While road safety remains the priority, we believe continued dialogue with the relevant authorities will be important to identify practical measures that support riders, businesses, customers and the long-term sustainability of the delivery sector," Mr Aburaqabeh said.
