Transport used by workers for the likes of JustEat, Deliveroo and UberEats has been described as a ‘growing problem’
Deliveroo riders – along with those for Just Eat and Uber Eats – are a common sight in Manchester(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
They whizz past pedestrians on the streets of every town and city in Greater Manchester, day in, day out.
Food delivery cyclists perform a task that millions of hungry customers have now come to rely on as regularly as taxis.
Most deliver takeaways and groceries ordered through one of the three main players in the industry – Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats.
The nature of the gig economy incentivises swift, regular work. Self-employed riders are paid for each delivery they make through one of the major companies. Those couriers who are busier rake in more cash.
Against that backdrop, it’s no surprise that some delivery riders look for a boost to help them travel faster between jobs.
Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here
Many electric bikes, or e-bikes, are legal to use in the UK without a licence, tax or insurance. These vehicles should reach a top speed no higher than 15.5mph without being pedalled, and have a motor with a continuous rated power output of no more than 250 watts.
But some e-bikes found on Greater Manchester’s streets have a higher capability than that. By law, they are treated as motorcycles.
‘A common occurrence in the gig economy’
Greater Manchester Police has led a string of crackdowns on illegal e-bikes used across the region over recent months. It has described their use as a ‘growing problem’.
Many of these vehicles are used by members of the public who are not working in the gig economy – but some of the vehicles have been used by food delivery riders.
The e-bikes seized by GMP on one day in Manchester last month(Image: GMP)
Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats all signed a Greater Manchester Food Delivery Charter with GMP and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority earlier this year – making a number of safety commitments, including on the use of legal e-bikes, and a pledge not to incentivise couriers to break the law.
Yet some delivery riders are falling short of these commitments.
In a one-day operation by GMP ‘targeting individuals who abuse the gig economy’ on July 13, 21 illegal e-bikes were seized for destruction in Manchester city centre alone.
Similar operations followed in Leigh and Ashton-under-Lyne, while officers have pledged to tackle the use of illegal e-bikes during a summer-long ‘safer streets’ campaign across 82 Greater Manchester locations.
One of the e-bikes seized in Leigh earlier this month(Image: GMP)
“Our officers took a proactive approach to tackling the illegal use of e-bikes, a common occurrence in the gig economy,” Sergeant Seamus Tohill, of GMP’s Manchester Force Intelligence Bureau, said following the July operation.
“The seizure of 21 non-compliant e-bikes which will be disposed of, demonstrates that we will not tolerate those who choose to operate outside the law, particularly when their actions pose genuine safety risks to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.”
He added: “Many [members of the public] expressed their appreciation for us addressing what they described as a growing problem that has been impacting their quality of life and sense of safety in the city centre.”
‘They are a dangerous menace’
Long-serving Manchester councillor Pat Karney, who lives in the city centre, says he regularly sees ‘lucky escapes’ with pedestrians narrowly missed by delivery riders in busy areas.
He fears that ‘anything could happen’, with one false move potentially having painful consequences.
Delivery riders ‘criss-cross’ through busy parts of the city(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
“They are all taking shortcuts around Market Street and Albert Square,” he said.
“They’re criss-crossing all these places that are full of pedestrians and it’s a miracle every day that somebody isn’t badly injured.”
Coun Karney has spoken out about the issue previously, and says he has spoken to officers at the town hall on potential steps that could be taken to improve the safety of people walking through the city centre.
He said: “We probably need a bylaw in Manchester, for areas like Market Street and Albert Square, that you can’t just barge through at great speed. They are a dangerous menace to everyone in the city centre.
Officers speak to a delivery rider in Manchester(Image: GMP)
“The safety of pedestrians is not their priority – their priority is to rush to the next restaurant. We get all that, but there is going to have to be a compromise here, otherwise people will get seriously injured.”
The reckless use of e-bikes on Greater Manchester’s streets is not limited to delivery riders.
More generally, GMP received more than 2,200 reports of incidents involving e-bikes from July 2024 to the end of June 2025, while 133 e-bikes were seized in April, May and June this year.
But delivery riders have become a target for recent police crackdowns. GMP has shared multiple images of e-bikes seized by officers which were used by delivery riders.
Police and Home Office workers speak to delivery riders in Ashton, Tameside, during a recent operation(Image: GMP)
They included some riders seen with branded clothing or delivery bags for one of the major gig economy firms, although the riders may not have been working for the companies at the time officers spoke to them.
What the big three firms say
Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats all say delivery riders are regularly given crucial safety information, including the requirement to use legal vehicles.
All three companies say they can take action when riders are caught breaching the law. Deliveroo says riders can have their contracts terminated, Uber Eats says couriers can be issued warnings and prevented from using its platform, while Just Eat says it has a ‘zero tolerance for criminal behaviour’.
Deliveroo and Just Eat riders are a common sight in Manchester city centre(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Uber Eats says it can also detect patterns of deliveries being made on vehicles which are not legal e-bikes or pushbikes, with couriers blocked from making further deliveries until they give evidence they are using an appropriate vehicle with the necessary documentation.
Deliveroo and Uber Eats also host various engagement and safety events to make sure riders comply with rules, while all three companies say they liaise with organisations including councils and police forces on safety concerns.
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring the safety of riders and the communities in which they operate.
“Using a legal, roadworthy vehicle and abiding by the Highway Code are clear conditions of a rider’s service agreement with us, and we fully support the efforts of the police to remove illegal e-bikes from the road.”
A Deliveroo rider on an e-bike(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
A spokesperson for Just Eat said: “Safety is taken seriously at Just Eat. All couriers delivering on our behalf must agree to follow all local laws and rules of the road and any breaches are met with swift action and zero tolerance for criminal behaviour.
“We recently co-developed the Greater Manchester Food Delivery Charter, which sets out industry safety standards for food delivery companies operating in Greater Manchester and will continue to work with relevant authorities to uphold our high standards.”
An Uber Eats spokesperson said: “The safety of our customers, couriers and the general public is a top priority.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
“Couriers must adhere to all applicable laws and regulations, including the Highway Code, and we work closely with a range of partners to provide ongoing safety education and access to discounted legal e-bikes and e-mopeds.”