Michelle Dewberry brands e bikes 'a menace' as delivery drivers deemed 'dangerous'
GB NEWS
A loophole enables companies to classify their riders as independent contractors
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Michelle Dewberry has branded e-bikes used by food delivery riders "a menace" during a discussion about dangerous driving practices.
Her comments came as ministers consider changing the law to force companies like Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats to take responsibility for riders using illegal bikes.
Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie agreed with Michelle's assessment, stating that riders "are taking their life in their hands" on the streets of London.
Speaking on GB News, Michelle said: "All of these delivery food systems, they're up and down the country, many of their riders, ladies and gents, are using black market e-bikes.
Michelle Dewberry branded the bikes "a menace"
GB NEWS
"They're a menace, if you ask me. Is it time now for these companies to get a hold of this? Because the ministers are suggesting a change in the law to make them do just that?"
Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun, said: "I don't know if you’ve ever driven around London, but honestly, they are taking their life in their hands. They’re also taking your life in their hands.
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"It’s incredible. What’s actually happening is this: the same delivery bike is being used 24 hours a day. One person, who’s officially registered with the company, does a 12-hour shift.
"Then, someone else pays to take over the bike and account for the next 12 hours, pretending to be the same driver. It’s completely illegal and totally unsafe."
"It’s an absolute racket. The companies know it’s going on, but they’re not doing anything about it because they don’t have enough drivers to meet demand."
"And this all feeds into a wider issue where we’ve become a society where everyone just sits at home and expects everything to be delivered, instead of going out. It’s unhealthy, unsustainable, and the sooner we deal with it, the better."
The illegal e-bikes being used by some delivery riders can reach speeds of up to 40mph, far exceeding the legal limit of 15.5mph for electric bicycles in the UK.
According to a report by the all-party parliamentary group for Cycling and Walking, the most serious incidents involving e-bikes, including fatal battery fires and road collisions, are connected to unsafe, modified, or black-market bikes and batteries bought online.
Labour MP Fabian Hamilton is pushing for amendments to workers' rights legislation to close a legal loophole that allows gig economy firms to avoid health and safety laws.
The illegal e-bikes being used by some delivery riders can reach speeds of up to 40mph
LEICESTERSHIRE POLICEThe loophole enables companies to classify their riders as independent contractors with the right to "substitute" their labour, rather than as workers.
The MP is backing amendments to the Employment Rights Bill in the Lords that would prohibit gig economy firms from using substitution clauses unless they can demonstrate the right is real and operational.
The APPG inquiry heard evidence from unions, legal experts, riders and emergency services that "made clear that platform working conditions, particularly substitution clauses, lack of formal worker status, and pay-per-drop models are the driving force which cause many riders to take dangerous risks to make ends meet", according to Hamilton.