Adams’ e-bike program fails to improve public safety

Big Tech has been taking advantage of immigrant workers in New York City for the past four years. Food delivery apps have been disregarding the safety of their “independent contractor” workers who rely on potentially dangerous e-bikes to do their jobs.

Instead of holding these companies accountable, City Hall is now subsidizing this irresponsible behavior, using taxpayer money to provide workers with the safe equipment that their employers should be providing.

Since 2020, New York City has become more chaotic and hazardous due to the widespread use of commercial e-bikes. The state and city legalized these motorized vehicles during the pandemic without implementing any safety regulations.

This lack of oversight has resulted in numerous workplace accidents and public safety concerns. Delivery workers, estimated in the tens of thousands, use these commercial e-bikes to make deliveries for apps like UberEats and Grubhub.

However, as independent contractors, they are responsible for their own equipment. Many workers have purchased cheap, uncertified e-bikes with batteries from China, leading to safety hazards in apartment buildings.

E-bikes pose a unique danger to the public, as they can exceed vehicular speed limits and do not require licenses, registration, or insurance like motorcycles. This has resulted in fatalities and injuries, with e-bike battery fires claiming the lives of multiple New Yorkers.

Both workplace safety and public safety are at risk, and more regulations are needed to govern the e-bike food delivery industry. Mayor Adams, along with City Councilman Keith Powers, are working to address these issues by implementing programs to replace unsafe e-bikes and promote safe riding practices.

While these initiatives are a step in the right direction, the industry as a whole needs to be held accountable for providing safe equipment to all workers. Public subsidies and property should not be the solution to a problem that the industry itself should be addressing.

Overall, the safety of delivery workers and the public should be the top priority, and city resources should be used wisely to ensure a secure environment for everyone involved.

Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal.