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A retail manager has shaved several times with food delivery drivers on motorcycles on the sidewalk near his office on Wheelock Place in Orchard.
And Mr. Nick Smith, 36, who has been working in the area for about two years, is not alone in this.
Other pedestrians have also had close encounters with the errant motorcyclists, most of whom were there to pick up food orders from Shake Shack, the popular burger and smoothie joint, in Liat Towers.
As there is no direct road access to the exit, the pavement is the fastest and most convenient way for food delivery passengers who are generally in a hurry.
When The New Paper delineated the pedestrian area on the outskirts of Wheelock Place and Liat Towers for two hours at lunchtime on Monday, about 20 food delivery drivers were seen driving and parking their motorcycles on the sidewalk.
There are parking lots at nearby shopping centers, as well as an outdoor parking lot at Angullia Park next to the Far East shopping center. Some malls, such as Liat Towers and Far East Shopping Center, do not have motorcycle parking.
But four drivers TNP spoke to were not interested in using the car parks.
One of them, a 24-year-old who wanted to be known as Haikal, said his main concerns were the time it would take to park and walk to and from the food collection point, and parking costs.
He added: “We are always in a rush to meet our delivery times. We are also at the mercy of vendors who may take longer to prepare food.
“If we have to wait for our orders, parking fees can go up quickly.”
Another passenger who wanted to be known as Nizam said that parking fees would take a portion of the $ 8 he earns for each delivery.
The 31-year-old said: “Fees range from 20 cents to more than a dollar. We can place up to 20 orders a day, so the cost can go up very quickly.”
ILLEGAL
It is illegal for motorcyclists to ride or park on the sidewalks.
According to the Land Transportation Authority, for parking on sidewalks, a passenger can be fined $ 70 for their first offense and $ 110 for subsequent offenses.
The 10 pedestrians TNP spoke with strongly opposed the use of motorcycles on sidewalks, calling it an accident waiting to happen.
Tony Tan, 48, a nearby business owner, said he has often seen motorcycles turn from Orchard Road onto sidewalks and continue for about 100 meters before stopping.
He said: “This is very dangerous. The sidewalk gets very crowded on weekends.
“There are small children and older people, and motorcycles go very close to pedestrians. We must not wait for an accident to occur before acting.”
A father of two who wanted to be known as Lokman said his priority is the safety of his children.
He said, “We cannot allow our children to be endangered by those who recklessly choose to ride on the sidewalk.”
When contacted, a Grab spokesperson said: “Our delivery partners are aware that they are required to observe all local regulations.
“We regularly remind our delivery partners through in-app notifications and emails about safety rules and requirements when delivering food and traveling on the roads, such as observing speed limits and wearing the proper safety equipment.” .
A Foodpanda spokesperson said: “Our passengers are always reminded to obey traffic rules and mall regulations when picking up and delivering orders.
“We encourage passengers to raise any concerns with us so that we can work with the relevant parties to find a viable solution.”
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