Delivery people’s safety on the road is a key priority for Uber Eats, that is why today Uber Eats is announcing an investment of $17M AUD to launch a new range of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is designed closely with delivery people on the platform. The safety gear will be provided for free to new and active delivery people who use bicycles, scooters or motorbikes across Australia and New Zealand.

Working in close consultation with delivery people and industry experts such as NGO We Ride Australia, the initiative aims to raise the bar for safety in the online food delivery industry. Over six months, the PPE has been carefully co-designed with over 40 delivery people in which focused on not just the effectiveness of the gear, but also made sure it is fit-for-purpose so delivery people nationwide will find it useful and comfortable to wear. The safety gear is also tested by third-party expert SGS Australia, a world-leading testing, inspection and certification company, to ensure certification for Australian and New Zealand safety standards are met. 

Through this investment, it is estimated that over 150,000 new and active two-wheel delivery people in Australia and New Zealand will benefit from the free distribution of PPE. The set includes high-quality and high-vis safety vests, rain jackets, delivery bags and bike kits (lights, reflectives, phone holder). 

Bec Nyst, General Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Uber Eats commented: “Uber Eats is committed to ensuring the safety of delivery people, and we believe that providing easy access to high-quality and highly-visible PPE gear can enhance safety while delivering on Australian and New Zealand roads.”

“We are grateful to the delivery people who partnered with us to co-design this gear. We hope this will ensure that this gear is fit-for-purpose and widely adopted by the delivery community. We also want to raise awareness of the importance of high quality and comfortable safety equipment, and encourage Aussies and Kiwis who commute on two wheels to embrace the use of high-vis safety gear.”

Uber Eats’ investment in certified PPE gear builds on a range of initiatives undertaken to strengthen two-wheel safety for delivery people. In 2021, Uber Eats co-founded the National Platform Safety Principles which are a set of mandatory safety standards that online food delivery platforms must adhere to and audit on a yearly basis. We’ve also implemented a range of safety features including helmet detection technology and a bicycle safety checklist that all two wheel delivery people must complete before accepting any trips on the Uber Eats app.

In the last 12 months, Uber Eats has also launched various safety features including Don’t Type and Ride where in-app messaging is disabled while a delivery person is in motion, and Hold Notifications to pause any in-app notifications when a delivery person is in motion. We will continue to invest in products and features to support the safety of all delivery people who deliver with Uber Eats.  

Stephen Hodge, Director of National Advocacy at We Ride Australia says, “WeRide was pleased to assist Uber Eats develop its range of personal safety equipment. The most severe injuries occur due to crashes with other vehicles. Improving visibility is an important step to empower cyclists to be safer on the roads, and we applaud this initiative from Uber Eats. To help make the choice to ride a bike or any two-wheel vehicle safer and more enjoyable for everyone, we need wider industry and government engagement to improve infrastructure, lower speed limits and conduct behaviour change programs, work which WeRide will continue to engage on nationally.”

The ordering of this new protective gear will roll out in phases starting from July 6, and will be made available to all new and active two-wheel delivery people delivering with Uber Eats by the end of July 2023.