Local and State Politics APP

Members of the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee of the Municipal Council met in order to reconsider some legislation that was not approved last year, among them one that seeks for electric bicycle or scooter businesses to obtain a license to operate in the city.

Something that Alejandro Grajales, who has been working as a delivery driver for almost nine years, believes is necessary.

“For the safety of our family, our neighbors and ourselves to use certified batteries so that we do not have those risks,†Grajales said.

According to data from the city’s Fire Department, in the last three years 376 people have been injured and 28 have died due to incidents related to lithium batteries.

For this reason they are also considering another bill that would require home delivery platforms to provide free electric bicycles and safety equipment to their delivery people.

Councilman Oswald Feliz, who presented this proposal, says that delivery companies like Uber Eats and DoorDash also have to be responsible for the use of electric bicycles.

“These companies have the largest market here in New York City and they have to help us solve this problem,†Feliz said.

This latest proposal has been criticized by DoorDash, who claim that they already spend around $74 million a year on salaries for delivery drivers, due to a law that was recently implemented.

“It is going to affect the Deliveristas a lot and the markets, too, that are on the platforms and are going to raise prices for customers, the three of them are going to suffer a lot,” said Kassandra Pérez-Desir, director of government relations, DoorDash.

While delivery workers and activists fear retaliation from these companies.

“We don’t want there to be requirements that are likely to lead to the worker losing their job or the possibility of them not being able to access their application because their company is now demanding that they have their requirement without any responsibility of the company however of the worker,” said Ligia Guallpa, of the Labor Justice Project.

These legislations will be introduced, for the second time, to the municipal council in the next legislative session on February 8.

2024-02-01 01:18:00
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