Uber Technologies Inc. is pushing back on a new NYC proposal requiring delivery app workers to display company-issued identification numbers on reflective vests, saying it “singles out” immigrant workers for “heightened surveillance and control.”
The new rules, proposed Monday by Mayor Eric Adams in the name of worker safety, would mandate that companies like Uber and DoorDash Inc. issue identification cards containing a unique number alongside the name and photo of each courier. They would be required to produce it upon demand of a police officer or others “authorized by law.”
The companies will also be required to maintain a roster of the aforementioned information of the couriers — who are independent contractors and not employees — and make it available upon request by the NYPD or Department of Transportation staff.
The new requirements would expose its delivery couriers, which includes 35,000 immigrant workers, “to police scrutiny — even in the absence of any violation,” said Josh Gold, an Uber spokesperson, who added that the administration did not engage with the company on the proposal. The company will engage on the rules moving forward, he said.
Representatives for DoorDash and Grubhub didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the rules.
New York City has been looking to address e-bike safety and worker protection issues concerning tens of thousands of delivery people in the past few years. But the city council has yet to vote a bill that would require registration of all e-bikes and e-scooters.
Read More: New York City Weighs E-Bike Licenses Amid Safety Concerns
Mayor Adams, who is seeking reelection in November, is putting forward the proposal to reignite urgency on the matter in the absence of legislation.
The rules “are a major step forward in holding delivery app companies accountable and ensuring delivery workers have the equipment, protections and visibility they need to stay safe,” he said in a statement on Monday.
The rules would also require the companies to provide mandatory safety training and safety equipment to couriers, among other things.
The city’s Department of Transportation will hold an online public hearing on the rules on Sept. 2.
Photo: The rules would also require the companies to provide mandatory safety training and safety equipment to couriers.
Topics New York Sharing Economy Ridesharing
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