Oral Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Lam Pin Min to Parliamentary Question on Third-Party Liability Insurance for Food Delivery Companies using PMDs

Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the Ministry’s efforts to encourage food delivery companies that engage deliverymen using PMDs or e-bikes to make food deliveries to take up third-party liability insurance covering their operations and promote safe riding habits amongst their deliverymen.

Reply by Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Lam Pin Min:

1.     In August 2018, the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) recommended that the Government work with key stakeholders to encourage the uptake of third-party liability insurance. Since then, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been engaging with major food delivery companies and two of them, Deliveroo and GrabFood, have purchased third-party liability insurance for their e-scooter riders. Meanwhile, AMAP is considering stronger measures to ensure that food delivery riders will be covered by third-party liability insurance when riding for work.

2.     LTA has also engaged the food delivery companies to educate their riders on safe riding practices and to promote rider awareness on regulations. The companies will disseminate safety messages and reminders via their phone applications and during their on-boarding sessions for new riders. Their riders will also be encouraged to attend the Safe Riding Programme.

3.     In October 2018, LTA, the Ministry of Manpower and the Traffic Police jointly issued a circular, calling for the food delivery companies to ensure the safety and health of their delivery riders by providing sufficient instruction, training and supervision. The circular also calls for companies to provide avenues for the reporting of unsafe riding by members of public.