Delivery cycling in Dublin, and the overlooked challenges of making a living on Dublin’s busiest road.

By Samuel Adeleke 

I Citizens’ concerns in Dublin are usually centered on motorists and pedestrians. Still, recent statistics from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) shows that the greatest share of serious injuries was among those cycling for social trips, at 76 per cent.    

In addition, the statistics also revealed that 187 cyclists were seriously injured while commuting to and from work, and the majority of these injuries occurred in Dublin. 

These figures raise questions about the challenges faced by cyclists in the city center, especially for delivery cyclists whose livelihoods depend on riding these roads daily and who are exposed to different road and weather conditions without the protection of a vehicle. 

Damilola Foluwashayo, a delivery cyclist with the delivery service Just Eat, said, “Cycling can be tedious when it rains. The roads become slippery, and there is a higher chance of getting a flat tire.”  

This not only makes riding more difficult but also increases the risk of injury to the rider. 

“If you ride too fast and want to apply the brakes on a slippery road, you might fall because there is no friction to hold your tires,” Foluwashayo said. 

One of such fall led to Foluwashayo sustaining a serious injury. “I was trying to avoid two kids playing on the road. In the process, I stepped on the wrong brake, my tires got spoiled, and I broke my leg,” he said.  

The changeable weather presents other challenges for cyclists. “In the first seconds it’s raining, the next seconds it’s not raining, just always take your safety gears with you and have your lights, lights make you safer,” said Judge Eddy, who uses his bicycle for grocery shopping for his wife. 

In addition to challenging weather conditions, cyclists also have to deal with careless drivers.  

“We often encounter reckless drivers on the road,” said Thomas Nve, a delivery cyclist with Deliveroo.  

“Taxi drivers, in particular, seem determined to meet the metrics and quickly get to their next client,” he added. 

But other road users criticise delivery riders for breaking the rules.  

“I have a big thing against delivery riders; they have no lights, they go through red lights all the time, and they tend to just cross over all the time,” said Judge Eddy.  

Eric Andrel, a delivery cyclist with Deliveroo, attributed an accident he had to the deplorable state of the road.  

“There have been a lot of potholes because of the rain, I had an accident because the pothole was covered by water,” he said. 

“The roads are also narrow and don’t give room to swerve safely,” Andrel said. To constantly keep himself safe, Andrel said, “I wear high-visibility clothes and always have my helmet on.” 

Andrel says The Government should do more to keep all road users safe “They should create a system where, after 6pm, only public transport is allowed in the city.” 

Mariann Finan, who is an all-year-round cyclist, said conditions have improved for Dublin cyclists, but problems remain.  “In terms of infrastructure for cyclists, it is better than it was; at least we have a lot of cycle lanes now, but they are not really finished. They stop and start, and you don’t really know where the next lane is.”  

Finan also noted a pandemic of wearing headphones among cyclists.  

“I don’t even know how anybody can wear headphones while cycling, because there is so much going on around you that you need to be alert to,” she said. 

Finan warns of dangerous overtaking by cyclists. She said: “A lot of the Brazilians and Chinese delivery riders have electric bicycles and tend to overspeed, but they should always use their bells to alert other road users.” 

Cliff Nolan, the owner of Bike Stops on Capel Street, Dublin, which sells and repairs bicycles, said, “I service a lot of delivery riders’ bicycles. The most recurrent issue with them is a puncture in the tyres, and their brakes always need a lot of attention.” 

“Delivery riders should always buy quality parts instead of going for cheap parts, which puts them at risk,” Nolan advised. 

One Chinese worker with Deliveroo, who did not wish to be named, said, “There are many dangers on the road. There are robberies by teenagers, and our bicycles are easily stolen.” 

He also highlighted other issues with the healthcare system that discourages drivers from seeking treatment for injuries.  

“I have fallen so many times on my bicycle and have had to treat my own wounds,” he claimed.   

“We generally don’t go to the hospital because going to the hospital will be troublesome and takes a lot of time. We figured we could handle it ourselves, and it would be much faster.” 

“Cyclists should ensure that both they and their bikes are visible to other road users by investing in good sets of front and rear lights, and by wearing clothing that helps them be seen,” said John Paul Guiheen, the Executive Officer of Communications at the RSA, in an email correspondence.  

“They should also consider wearing high-visibility materials and obeying the rules of the road,” he added. 

The RSA stated that there was a deliberate effort last year to inform major food delivery companies about changes to the law concerning electric bicycles as introduced in the Road Traffic and Roads Acts 2023.  

“Riders must obey the same rules of the road as drivers; the roads are a shared space. Hence, drivers must follow all speed limits, traffic signals, and parking regulations,” said Guiheen.  

On other issues bothering on weather conditions, cycle lanes, and bicycle theft, the RSA said, “That should be directed to the NTA, local authorities who maintain roads, and the Gardai respectively.” 

 But “during severe weather events, we issue advice to all road users, including cyclists,” he said.