Road Safety: Gig Economy Couriers

5. What steps she is taking to help improve road safety for gig economy couriers using two-wheeled vehicles.

This Government have announced a £500 million road maintenance funding uplift for next year, as well as £300 million for active travel schemes. That will improve road conditions and safety for all road users, including delivery riders.

Two-wheeled couriers working in the gig economy experience more road dangers than average riders due to time pressures from employers. Research from University College London shows that gig economy riders are three times as likely to report damage to their vehicle and nearly twice as likely to report injury. What steps are being taken, including with employers of gig economy riders and other stake- holders, to protect gig economy riders and reduce dangers for them and other road users and pedestrians?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important issue, which I know will be familiar to many Members across the House. In December, the Minister for Local Transport wrote to the main food delivery companies to remind them of the importance the Government place on the safety of food delivery riders and other road users and to remind them of their obligations. It is essential that delivery riders follow the highway code, despite the time pressure they are sometimes operating under.