The city of Ghent wants to put a stop to reckless moped couriers. That says mayor Mathias De Clercq (Open VLD). During the lockdown, many restaurateurs unpacked with home deliveries and they – or the courier service – are often forced to deploy young, inexperienced drivers.
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City councilor Stijn De Roo (CD&V) asked for a plan of action during the council because quite a few couriers behave very recklessly. ‘We have known the bicycle couriers of Deliveroo, Take-away and Uber Eats for several years, but in recent months they have been increasingly assisted by couriers with mopeds, something we have known for some time from the classic pizza restaurants.’
The new group of drivers does not always follow the traffic rules very closely. “We receive a lot of complaints about dangerous driving behavior,” says De Roo, “which involves driving on bicycle paths and footpaths or in streets with a prohibited direction.”
The mayor acknowledged the problem on Tuesday evening, called the behavior ‘completely unacceptable’ and promises that the police will continue to monitor the coming days. ‘As mayor, I will closely monitor that more than ever priority is given to tackling reckless and anti-social behavior within Ghent,’ he says. In the past, these checks have already led to the closure of catering businesses, De Clercq warns.
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