"This is why Deliveroo drivers went on strike in Newcastle", 20 September 2019

Deliveroo riders went on strike in Newcastle to demand better pay and working conditions...They told ChronicleLive they were struggling with finances and were having to pay for fuel, servicing of their bikes and food delivery insurance.

They demanded better pay and improved conditions as well as holiday and sick day rights...

...Deliveroo says it is investing more in rider fees overall and is paying them more for medium and long distance deliveries. As a result, fees for some shorter distance orders may be lower but the majority of fees have increased...

A spokesperson said:"...Riders in Newcastle make over £11 an hour on average, well above the national minimum wage. We've...introduced changes that mean riders are now getting higher fees for the deliveries they make...

"...Deliveroo was the first company in the on-demand economy to automatically enroll riders on a free insurance package...

..."...we have introduced...features in the app to allow riders to raise concerns about specific delivery areas. Riders can also unassign themselves from a delivery if they don’t feel safe, which won’t affect how they work with us in the future."

The company is introducing a street-routing tool which will ensure the predicted time for each delivery, and therefore the fee offered to the rider is better reflective of the time the rider will actually take on a specific order.

It also adds that it has a partnership with Zego offering pay-as-you-go moped insurance, which means that riders only pay for the time they work...

In addition, workers using motorised vehicles receive higher fees than cyclists to reflect the additional fuel costs.

The firm says it has a number of initiatives to help keep riders safe, including a contact line for them to report any concerns and safety surgeries.