A Deliveroo driver, identified only as Mohamed, collapsed on the street while attempting to deliver food to a luxury flat building in East London. As Mohamed lay unconscious on the pavement, heroic bystanders tried to keep him warm and conscious, while a separate delivery driver handed over the food to the customer who had been waiting outside. Despite being barely conscious, the customer then proceeded to ask Mohamed questions about their order, prompting James Farrar, the general secretary of the App Drivers and Couriers Union, to intervene.
Farrar expressed his shock at the incident, saying that it showed a “bleak London” and highlighted the brutal reality of exploitation of fast delivery services. He argued that the technology used by such services had led to the dehumanisation of workers and consumers alike, with workers viewed simply as units of production rather than human beings. Moreover, he noted that the lack of safety features in the Deliveroo app had prevented the company from flagging the fact that Mohamed was motionless and required urgent medical attention.
