‘Safety measures needed for delivery drivers using mopeds’

MOPED riders delivering pizzas and kebabs should be given proper training and reflective uniforms, road safety campaigners urged this week.

Ali Yüksek, head of the Platform for the Prevention of Motorcycle Accidents, said “most” of those involved in motorcycle accidents were “fast-food takeaway delivery guys”.

He said many riders wore black jackets, which made it harder for other road users to see them at night, and said they should instead wear “fluorescent” tops.

Mr Yüksek said motorcyclists also faced other dangers, particularly from potholes and sand and gravel spilled on to the road surface by lorries travelling to and from construction sites.

Mehmet Avcı, chairman of the Road Traffic Accidents Prevention Association, said riding standards required to obtain a motorcycle licence were also “inadequate” and that delivery riders did not receive “adequate training” for their job.

He said they were “forced to speed” because of pressure from their bosses to make food deliveries as quickly as possible and that car drivers “were not protecting motorcyclists and cyclists”.

Dr Avcı claimed bike riders were being “forced on to the sides of the roads”, and cycle lanes were “virtually non-existent”.

He said the TRNC’s roads had become dangerous because of those driving under the influence of “drugs or alcohol” and called for “heavy fines” for those who flouted rules.

Cyprus Turkish Motorcycle Association chairman İbrahim Önderoğlu said motorcyclists and cyclists were at greater danger on the roads compared to people in cars, who needed to show “greater awareness” to reduce two-wheeled accidents.

His views were echoed by Cycling Federation chairman Ekin Adademir, who called for more “empathy” from drivers.

According to official figures, 17 people have died in motorbike accidents since January 2014, at least two of them food delivery riders.