Sharjah Police tell delivery riders to follow traffic rules to prevent accidents

Force says riders have been involved in 19 crashes this year

Delivery motorcycles in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Sharjah Police have told delivery riders to adhere to traffic rules, with 19 accidents involving motorbikes reported so far this year.

Police said many of the incidents happened because of the pressure riders were under to deliver orders on time.

Police said there were no fatalities in the accidents, but 13 riders suffered injuries that required hospital treatment.

Maj Omar Al Aqroubi, director of traffic co-ordination at Sharjah Police, said crashes were caused by a lack of attention from riders and manoeuvres such as the changing lanes suddenly.

In one fatal accident last year, the driver was distracted and failed to notice a car stopped on the road ahead, he said.

“Most of the accidents involving delivery bike riders happen due to the pressure riders are under to deliver on time,” he said.

“In an incident last year, a distracted biker crashed into a car that stopped nearly 500 metres away. The biker died on the spot.”

Maj Al Aqroubi also emphasised that motorcyclist riders were not permitted to travel in the fast lane of major roads.

“Among the mandatory rules that apply to motorcycles is not driving on the left lane, but many riders are breaking this rule regularly,” he said.

He urged bikers to adhere to traffic laws and safety rules, including wearing helmets, using indicators properly and regularly checking their motorbikes are in good working order.

Blind spot accidents

Riders have urged other road users to drive carefully to help prevent accidents.

“It feels as if we don’t have the right to be on the road like them,” said Muhammad Ramzan, 26, from Pakistan, who has been in the delivery business for five years and takes an average of 20 orders a day.

“We sometimes make mistakes on the road but it's because we are pushed to move along in a zigzag course when other cars do not give way.”

Mr Ramzan said car drivers could also become distracted on the road.

“One time I was hit from the back by a car whose driver was busy with his mobile phone,” he said.

Saad Shoaib, who operates a company in Sharjah that manages delivery riders, said motorists should ensure they look out for riders on the roads.

“They don’t check blind spots around them where riders could be driving,” he said.

His company provides riders with visas and helps them to obtain motorbike driving licences, he said.

The company also ensures its riders undergo safety training and provides them with equipment including helmets.

He said fines for illegal parking outside restaurants were also an problem for riders.

“Many restaurants do not have any designated parking spaces for delivery staff and some buildings do not allow them into their car parks,” he said.

In Dubai, 31 bikers were killed last year and 253 were injured. Police said 22 of those killed were responsible for causing the accidents.

In the first two months of this year, 46 accidents caused three deaths and 47 injuries in the emirate.

Dubai Police said the main reasons for the accidents included failing to leave a safe distance, sudden swerving and failing to stop at red lights.