There is growing recklessness by food-delivery motorcyclists in Vredekloof, according to the local city improvement district (CID).
Residents in the area want the City to install speed humps to stop speeding and other traffic violations by the motorcyclists, says Leon Brynard, the manager of the Vredekloof CID.
The number of food-delivery bikers on the roads has surged since lockdown started, and so has the number of traffic violations they commit, he says.
The CID, also known as a special-ratings area, is where residents agree to pay levies for, among other things, the upkeep and security of the area.
Uber SA, one of the companies which operates in the area, says it has not received complaints about its food-delivery motorcyclists in the area.
Northern News spotted 20 delivery motorbikes at a parking lot near the KFC on Old Paarl Road. When we approached the riders, they said they had never heard of the CID and had not received any complaints. Most of them worked for Uber Eats, they said.
Asked whether he had approached any of the motorcyclists, Mr Brynard said: “I have spoken to a lot of them, but most of them just play dumb. If you ask them why they are not stopping at the stop streets, almost all of them will ask ‘where?’
“We receive quite a number (of complaints). I have now started a process of reporting them to the company for whom they are doing deliveries. We’ll see what their reaction will be.”
He said he had followed one motorbike after seeing it skip three stop signs. “When he stopped at his delivery address, I also stopped to make him aware that he just skipped three stop streets. When I looked at his scooter, I could not see a license disc, so I asked him. He did not respond, and I then asked him if he has a driver’s licence? He again did not respond and got on his bike and drove away, without delivering anything at that address.
“I have another one on video where he was driving at 8.08pm without lights, only with his hazards on.”
He said he was compiling a report on the traffic transgressions for the City traffic department.
“I alone have pictures of 20 motorbikes, with their registration numbers, that skipped a stop street that I witnessed myself. There are many more that I witness daily, but then I am maybe driving in the opposite direction so I cannot do anything.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, one of the delivery riders said there were many of them and “like other drivers on the road, we may make mistakes here and there, but I don’t believe we’re problematic”.
Uber spokeswoman Mpho Sebelele said: “Just like anyone riding a bike or driving a motorbike/car on public roads, delivery people are expected to abide by all laws and rules of the road, including local traffic laws.”
Uber had rigid guidelines for it drivers and was committed to vehicle inspections, which included vehicle testing when they signed up, she said.
“This means that all delivery people needed to visit a vehicle-inspection centre to complete and pass a vehicle inspection.”
Mayoral committee member for transport Rob Quintas said the City had had no requests for speed humps from the CID.
“There is no provision in the City’s traffic-calming policy to provide calming on the grounds of speeding alone,“ he said.
The policy prioritised traffic-calming measures for schools, public facilities and, in exceptional cases, the site of a “recent and serious incident”.