There's more than one way to hit brakes on reckless, rule-flouting delivery drivers
In the instant-gratification culture which e-commerce enables, we become frustrated and impatient if we have to wait even a few minutes longer than expected.
Zachary Lowell
Police in the Pudong New Area are getting high-tech in their efforts to tame rule-breaking food delivery drivers.
According to a recent Shine.cn report, a new mobile app installed on the phones of deliverymen in the area can record traffic offenses such as running red lights and riding e-bikes in motor lanes. Those who rack up demerits could be forced to perform volunteer work, or lose their jobs altogether.
While I support efforts to curb traffic violators, in the case of delivery drivers punishments and disincentives are only part of the answer. If we want to encourage delivery personnel to follow the rules of the road, we must also reckon with bigger issues such as consumer expectations and corporate responsibilities.
As many readers are well aware, app-based food delivery services like Ele.me and Meituan are enormously popular in Shanghai and other cities. In 2017, China’s online food delivery market grew over 23 percent to include 300 million users and reached a value of 204.6 billion yuan (US$29.6 billion), according to official data.
Such explosive growth is hardly surprising given China’s well-known love for all things e-commerce. Of course, this boom would not be possible without a veritable army of delivery drivers, many of whom race against the clock to avoid late delivery fees and low ratings from users. By most accounts, food delivery is high-pressure work that pushes drivers to move quickly if they want to maximize their earnings. Moreover, food delivery isn’t exactly a promising career, meaning that drivers often aim to make as much cash as possible before moving on to other jobs. This kind of get-in, get-out mentality can also promote risk-taking behavior.
Unfortunately, many drivers have put profit ahead of safety in the scramble for quick money. In Nanjing, for example, over 2,400 people were injured in traffic accidents involving delivery drivers in the first half of 2017. It’s unclear how many such injuries have occurred in Shanghai, although police in the city have warned delivery firms about driver safety and even attend morning driver meetings, reports say.
More orderly traffic
The recklessness of some delivery drivers is all the more apparent given the general improvement in traffic conditions witnessed in Shanghai over recent years. In large part, this change can be attributed to crackdowns on traffic offenses as well as new technologies that make it easier to punish rule-breakers.
When I first arrived in Shanghai more than a decade ago, it was not unusual for motorists to completely ignore traffic signals and safety rules. In those days, it was also rare for rule-flouting drivers to be reprimanded or fined, which only encouraged further unsafe behavior. Adding to the disorder, those driving an array of two- and three-wheeled vehicles plied the city’s streets and sidewalks according to rules that were entirely unknown to me.
Thankfully, traffic is much more orderly these days, despite an increasing number of vehicles on the road. My hope is that delivery drivers can join this welcomed trend too, although the nature of their work doesn’t exactly promote slow-and-safe road behavior.
Police can do their part to crack down on traffic offenses when they occur, but delivery companies and app operators need to offer positive incentives that promote safety.
According to Shine.cn, some companies have recently placed more emphasis on driver safety and are also more reluctant to dock driver wages due to late deliveries or complaints. Ele.me also offers bonuses of 1,000 yuan to its top 30 drivers nationwide based on safety and job performance. These are good first steps, but I think companies can afford to expand and formalize such schemes for drivers.
The same should go for delivery drivers who are subcontracted through labor agencies. According to reports, subcontracted drivers handle the bulk of delivery orders in Shanghai and their “independent contractor” status means that companies typically don’t have the same obligations to them as direct-hire employees.
Consumer’s responsibility
Furthermore, delivery companies should also be held responsible, at least in part, for the reckless behavior of their drivers. If some companies have drivers who are more prone to commit traffic violations, this should raise questions about the pressures managers place on delivery staff.
Another part of the problem rests with consumers themselves. In Shanghai, many of us, myself included, take for granted that we can get anything and everything delivered with the push of a few buttons.
The trend toward ever faster, ever more efficient delivery services has steadily raised the bar of consumer expectations to almost impossible heights. We want stuff brought to us now — or at least as close to now as possible.
In the instant-gratification culture which e-commerce enables, we become frustrated and impatient if we have to wait even a few minutes longer than expected. With technology constantly promising a better future, it’s easy to direct our frustrations toward human targets; in this case delivery drivers who keep us waiting. If drivers are risking life and limb to satisfy our ever more demanding expectations, we shouldn’t be surprised.
It will take time to improve the road behavior of delivery drivers. Some positive steps have already been taken by companies and authorities. Recent efforts to unionize delivery workers in Shanghai should also improve driver working conditions and respect for road safety.
Still, placing all of the responsibility and blame on drivers misses the bigger picture. Consumers and employers should also recognize their role in creating our delivery-oriented consumer society as well as their capacity for positive change.
Zachary Lowell used to work as a copy editor at Shanghai Daily. He now studies in Germany.