A Vancouver man is fed up with what he says is reckless behaviour of delivery workers illegally using bicycles on sidewalks and wants it to stop.
Todd Clarke lives in Vancouver’s West End and says he’s been hit three times this year while walking in a section of the city popular for pedestrians.
“It’s causing a lot of chaos on the streets,” says Clarke. “It’s been getting noticeably worse with cyclists on the sidewalk.”
Cyclists, electric bikes and electric scooters are not permitted to ride on sidewalks, as confirmed by City of Vancouver staff. Motorized wheelchairs are allowed on sidewalks, making them the only exception to the rule.
“I’ve seen everything from careless nudging somebody to physical altercations and there doesn’t seem to be any accountability,” he says. “Not only do they have large carrying cases, but oftentimes they have cellphones mounted to the handlebars and they aren’t paying attention.”
Clarke is concerned there is no way to report the delivery cyclists, should there be a collision or injury.
“There is no way to even identify a company or companies that they’re driving for at the time, so there is no resource for the public,” he says. “Nothing is changing the behaviour, and the aggression seems just to be getting worse.”
He started a petition and is asking the city to consider a licensing system for all commercial cyclists.
“Whether or not this is the path the city takes, I think it’s an opportunity to make sure that the drivers are held to account,” he says.
Glacier Media reached out to three food delivery companies (Uber, Skip the Dishes and DoorDash) and only one responded back by deadline.
'No tolerance for reckless driving'
A spokesperson from DoorDash says it sends frequent reminders to drivers to not block sidewalks while delivering and to follow local regulations.
"DoorDash has no tolerance for reckless driving, which includes driving on sidewalks,” says the spokesperson. "Each and every Dasher agrees to comply with all applicable laws as a condition for using the DoorDash platform.”
The overwhelming majority of Dashers do follow local rules and regulation, the spokesperson said, adding: "Dashers that exhibit unsafe or dangerous driving behaviour may have their access to our platform suspended."
A Vancouver-based defence lawyer believes it makes sense to have a regulatory system for people who are using their bicycles for commercial purposes.
Kyla Lee with Acumen Law says the City of Vancouver has the power to regulate people who are conducting business through its bylaws.
“It also makes sense because of the disruption to people living their lives and the potential for injury or harm that could be caused by people who are riding unsafely, to regulate people who are using bikes in a commercial fashion,” says Lee.
The City of Vancouver says fines for riding bicycles on a sidewalk is a $100 bylaw ticket.
Bike courier licence
When asked if the city would consider a licensing program, a spokesperson said cyclists operating as couriers for licensed companies such as UberEats and Skip the Dishes are required to obtain a bike courier licence.
“They must pass a written exam and pay a fee. Once licensed, they must purchase a bike courier plate and attach it to their bicycle,” says the spokesperson.
Lee echoed a concern made by Clarke, saying it is difficult for people who have been struck or injured by a commercial cyclist to report them or pursue legal action because there is no way of identifying them.
“If they ride off you don’t know who they are,” she says. “You can report it to the police, and the police are not going to conduct an investigation unless the injuries are incredibly serious, and even then, because there's no identifying information on most bikes, it's very difficult for police to locate offenders and to actually get enough information to lay a charge.”
Lee says there is already a regulatory system in place for the business side so the new licensing could be done under the existing business model and would not require more administrative resources from the city.
"Police officers in Vancouver know that this is happening, and yet resources aren't being put into protecting the public from people who are riding their bikes aggressively,” says Lee.
No accurate statistics
Const. Tania Visintin, a Vancouver Police Department media liaison officer, confirmed to Glacier Media that a ticket for riding on the sidewalk is $109.
When asked how many calls involving commercial cyclists injuring people that police respond to, Visintin says there are no accurate statistics.
There are instances where people get injured or are taken to the hospital after being injured, but police aren’t always called, she said.
Cycling advocate Lucy Maloney says the petition encapsulates the unnecessary conflicts caused by the city's failure to redesign streets to reflect significant social changes, especially the massive increase in the public's appetite for food delivery services.
"Food delivery workers bear the brunt of a difficult time and financial pressures,” she adds.
"The commercial streets in the West End are car-focused, lacking any cycling infrastructure and very few designated delivery zones.”
No dedicated zone for delivery couriers
Many restaurants on Denman Street and the lower part of Robson Street conduct business with food delivery workers, but Maloney points out there are no parking spaces reallocated to provide space for those workers to stop.
"The West End BIA has had additional bike parking installed on commercial streets in recent years and the Davie and Bute streets rebuilds are imminent, but the current street configuration makes work difficult and dangerous for food delivery workers,” she says.
Recently, B.C. has become the first province in Canada to provide minimum wage to people who deliver food on Uber, DoorDash and Skip the Dishes.
Starting back on Sept. 3, workers' minimum wage increased to $20.88 and all ride-hailing and delivery workers will now be covered through WorkSafeBC.
Clarke hopes his petition will garner more than 500 signatures. He then plans to bring it to Vancouver city council.
“It’s a matter of mutual respect, cyclists do need to be off the sidewalks,” says Clarke.
