Working With Delivery Drivers

We all enjoy the wealth of different cuisines available at the Quarter’s food venues, and that has continued to be the case over the last year with food delivery drivers present on Baker Street and in the surrounding area. This has been an important revenue source for many of the Quarter’s businesses during the national lockdowns. We have been working closely with the delivery drivers on the street during this time, along with Westminster City Council, our Street Safety Team, residents, businesses and the Metropolitan Police to support the safe, polite and respectful behaviour of all parties enjoying and delivering tasty food ‘to go’ from the Quarter’s hospitality venues.

Following a small number of complaints about the behaviour of delivery drivers, BakerStreetQ approached the main operators to see if a solution could be found to deter these small number of irresponsible drivers. We’re pleased to have formed a good partnership between BakerStreetQ and UberEats so that isolated concerns can be shared with the delivery company. UberEats can then use technology on its platform to allow our Street Safety Team’s reports to identify the minority of irresponsible drivers. If necessary, these drivers can be banned from working in certain areas and in extreme cases from working on the platform entirely. Conversations are ongoing with other operators; as most delivery drivers run multiple platforms simultaneously, we’re confident that messages reminding drivers of expected conduct will reach the right people.

At the same time, our Street Safety Team has been monitoring and sharing intelligence with Westminster City Council’s Neighbourhood Coordinator and the Met Police’s Business Crime Hub as well as undertaking joint patrols with our local PCSO to remind drivers to social distance over lockdown, to keep themselves and those around them safe.