Mumbai traffic police bar food deliverymen from crowding outside malls

Deliverymen working with online food orderingplatforms may no longer be spotted crowding roads outside malls. The traffic police recently held a meeting with the managements of popular city malls, instructing them that deliverymen should either be moved onto premises or not be served at all.

"Most malls have food courts on the top floor. Deliverymen with food apps park their bikes on the road outside a mall or on the footpath. They wait near the staff entrance as they aren't allowed to go upstairs. After they inform the restaurant of their arrival, food is prepared and a staffer delivers the parcel to the deliverymen downstairs. This process takes time. Multiple restaurants serving food means there are a number of deliverymen present and their vehicles congest the road. Parking on the footpath is anyway an offence," said a senior officer.

The meeting was held with managements of 10 popular malls located in Malad, Goregaon, Andheri, Ghatkopar, Nariman Point, Kurla, Lower Parel and Chembur. It was also attended by representatives of food ordering and delivery platforms. "Mall managements were asked to either not serve food parcels to the deliverymen at all or ask them to park inside their premises. Mall managements can decide individually whether deliverymen are to be charged for parking inside premises or not," the officer said.

The traffic police have also instructed food ordering platforms to get police verification conducted for deliverymen. Police verification is now a fully online process.

Between March 13 and April 14, over 5,900 deliverymen were prosecuted for a number of traffic violations, including rash and negligent driving, helmetless riding, riding on footpaths, unauthorised parking, jumping signal and drunk driving.

Source:-https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/food-services/mumbai-traffic-police-bar-food-deliverymen-from-crowding-outside-malls/69126567