"Deliveroo accused of breaking employment and safety law", 18 July 2018

Deliveroo allegedly forces delivery cyclists to sacrifice safety in favour of speed...

[F]ormer riders [...] allege [...] managers encouraged riders to complete deliveries quicker and suggested breaking the law by riding on pavements to take short cuts and jump red lights if no cars were around... [and] that Deliveroo made no effort to establish the cycling proficiency of the riders...

It is also alleged that in spite of the company’s claims to offer flexible working conditions, riders were obliged to have shifts approved a week in advance and were penalised if they cancelled them for any reason, including illness...

Deliveroo told The Times that it strongly disputes the allegations made by the riders.

The claims, a spokesman for the company said, “do not represent the experiences of the vast majority of Deliveroo riders whom [sic] enjoy the well paid flexible work that we are proud to be creating.

“Riders have total flexibility to choose whether, where and when they work, for how long and how often. Riders can freely login any time and can change their plans at any time. There are no speed incentives as we treat rider safety as a priority...