Dubai’s transport authority on Tuesday said it is introducing a new set of standards for the delivery services industry after the coronavirus pandemic fuelled growth for the sector.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said it was acting following “soaring demand” from residents who are increasingly reliant on the services in delivering their ordered goods and products.
The global Covid pandemic has led to a rush for delivery services as many restaurants were forced to close amid a raft of restrictions enforced to try to prevent the spread of the virus while parcel delivery firms also recorded growth as e-commerce soared.
One industry insider previously told Arabian Business that the out of home food sector, which mainly caters to restaurants, pubs and airlines has suffered a decline of about 40 percent over the last nine months, although this represents an improvement from the 80-90 percent losses suffered in the early days of the pandemic.
Now, the RTA said it is seeking to regulate the delivery sector further to bring it in line with the world’s top practices, especially regarding security and safety.
“Given the continuous growth of delivery services and the extensive reliance of residents on those services in delivering their orders, it was imperative to regulate the business of the sector,” said Abdullah Ibrahim Al Meer, director of Commercial Transport Activities, Licensing Agency, RTA.
He said the new licence regulations cover areas including the training of drivers, standards of delivery boxes, and the uniform of drivers.
“The objective of these regulations is to ensure compliance with the highest safety and quality standards, and reduce traffic accidents,” he added.
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