"Move Aside, I'm in a Hurry" Delivery Motorbikes on Indian Roads... Citizens' Discomfort [Reporter Han Goes]

Crossing crosswalks at high speed and parking next to 'Braille blocks for the visually impaired'
Citizens express "concerns about safety accidents as well as obstruction of passage"
Delivery workers criticized for risking their lives amid commission competition

A delivery motorcycle is parked on the sidewalk. Pedestrians passing through this area walked to the right side as shown in the photo. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] "It's definitely uncomfortable, especially when they suddenly come from behind...", "It startles you."

Amid the rise in delivery food orders due to the non-face-to-face quarantine measures following the COVID-19 pandemic, motorcycles delivering food have been riding not only on roads but also on sidewalks, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and raising concerns about safety accidents.

This situation is interpreted as a result of delivery workers, who receive commissions based on the number of deliveries, being pushed into competition. While some citizens express understanding to a certain extent, they also reveal concerns about the inconvenience caused and potential fatal accidents.

Recently, near a busy intersection in Seoul, motorcycles delivering food rode onto the sidewalk and continued driving, causing significant inconvenience to pedestrians.

Citizens present at the scene voiced their complaints unanimously. Kim, a worker in his 20s, said, "I understand that deliveries are urgent and that riding on the sidewalk can be overlooked, but driving so openly and fast is not right." He added, "If an accident happens, the delivery worker loses their daily wage and it could lead to even bigger problems like injuries."

Lee, a company employee in his 50s, said, "I don't understand why motorcycles come onto the sidewalk," expressing frustration. "They should park near the delivery location and walk onto the sidewalk. This isn't the first time, and they could even be fined. I don't know what's so urgent." He also expressed concern, saying, "Accidents could happen too. This is a problem that needs to be fixed quickly."

A delivery motorcycle is parked to the left of the tactile paving (yellow) for the visually impaired. From the perspective of a visually impaired person, it is inevitable to trip over the motorcycle or suffer a serious accident. Photo by Han Seung-gon hsg@asiae.co.kr

◆ Fine of 40,000 KRW and 10 penalty points... Up to 5 years imprisonment if someone is injured

Under current law, motorcycles are classified as two-wheeled vehicles. Riding on sidewalks instead of roads results in fines. According to the Road Traffic Act, drivers of two-wheeled vehicles classified as 'cars' must operate on the roadway where roads have separated lanes for vehicles and pedestrians.

Riding a two-wheeled vehicle on the sidewalk incurs a fine of 40,000 KRW and 10 penalty points under Article 13, Paragraph 1 of the Road Traffic Act. If a person is injured while riding on the sidewalk, it is considered one of the 12 major negligent accidents involving sidewalk intrusion. Even if the victim agrees or the driver has comprehensive insurance, under the Special Act on the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, the offender may face imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW.

Despite these penalties, some motorcycle drivers appear to ride on sidewalks to complete more deliveries.

According to a report titled 'The Impact of Delivery App Expansion on Employment' published last year by the Korea Labor Institute, the total number of delivery workers nationwide is 130,000. Only 36% are directly employed by Chinese restaurants or chicken and pizza shops, while 64% belong to delivery agencies.

This means that over 80,000 motorcycle drivers belong to delivery agencies. Since delivery workers employed by agencies are not on a fixed salary but receive commissions per delivery, they are inevitably pushed to deliver more and faster, leading them to ride on sidewalks instead of roads.

A delivery motorcycle is quickly crossing the crosswalk. Photo by Han Seunggon hsg@asiae.co.kr

◆ Accidents concentrated among younger age groups... Deaths from delivery accidents

As a result, various accidents occur. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as of the end of June this year, the number of deaths caused by two-wheeled vehicle traffic accidents was 265, a 13.7% increase compared to 233 in the same period last year. During the same period, the number of traffic accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles increased by 2.7%.

The causes of accidents were investigated as follows: 35.1% due to the negligence of the other driver, 32.4% due to on-time delivery pressure, and 18.9% due to reckless driving to avoid customer complaints.

According to data on two-wheeled vehicle traffic accidents over the past five years, the Road Traffic Authority reported that from 2015 to 2019, 94,975 traffic accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles occurred. These resulted in 2,829 deaths and 115,929 injuries. Notably, these accidents were concentrated on weekends and during nighttime hours, confirming that times with many dinner and late-night snack deliveries are particularly dangerous.

Additionally, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, half of the patients visiting hospitals due to motorcycle accidents were aged 15 to 39, showing a tendency to be concentrated among younger age groups. According to data submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to the National Assembly inspection last October, 45.8% of industrial accident deaths among those aged 18 to 24 were traffic accidents outside the workplace, i.e., delivery accidents.

A local police traffic department official urged motorcycle drivers to drive safely. The official emphasized, "All two-wheeled vehicles must operate on roads (roadways), not sidewalks," and added, "We are actively enforcing regulations through guidance and other measures in response to related complaints." He also urged, "To reduce safety accidents, two-wheeled vehicle drivers must strictly comply with traffic regulations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.