What the companies say they are doing
» Deliveroo says if a rider accepts an order, they can cancel at any time if they have safety concerns. This has no impact on their work with Deliveroo and will not make them less likely to be offered orders, the firm says.
If a rider reports offensive, discriminatory or harassing behaviour from a customer, Deliveroo says it “will not hesitate” to permanently block the customer’s account.
Its spokeswoman said: “The safety of riders is our absolute priority and we take every step to ensure they feel safe when on the road.
“We regularly communicate with riders about how to keep safe, including not accepting an order if they have any concerns about the location.
“Riders can raise safety concerns via the rider app and we regularly share safety advice with our riders, including the offer of free personal safety alarms.
“We also have a dedicated rider team to help riders with any concerns that they may have and make sure they feel supported at all times.”
» An Uber Eats spokeswoman said: “What has been described is totally unacceptable, and we have a zero tolerance policy on any such behaviour in the Uber community.
“The safety of everyone who uses the app is a top priority, and anyone found to have behaved in this manner faces permanent removal from the app.
“We encourage everyone to speak up and report any such wrongdoing to the police, whom we work closely with.”
Uber Eats says couriers can see the destination ahead of accepting a trip, and reject it if they do not wish to go to a certain area.
» Just Eat says it has an instant messaging function in its app which couriers can use to raise safety concerns.
The company says most of its couriers are “self-employed independent contractors” and it would encourage them to contact police with serious concerns over safety.
A Just Eat spokesperson said: “For Just Eat, it’s really important that all couriers delivering on our behalf are treated fairly and are able to work safely.
“We continue to offer guidance on topics such safety and road safety to support this.
“We’re committed to keeping an open dialogue with the couriers we engage with and whenever we’re made aware of any concerns, we will always investigate and take action as needed.”