Deliveroo is rolling out a new feature to allow its customers and riders to choose contact-free delivery to combat the spread of coronavirus.
When food is ordered from Deliveroo’s app and website, customers can choose “Contact-free” delivery at check-out.
From March 16, riders will be able to see when a customer has selected this option in the order’s delivery notes and will then follow a simple process to ensure there is no contact when the food is delivered.
Riders will be asked to let the customer know they have arrived, place their thermal bag open on the ground outside their door, step back at least 1 metre and wait nearby for the customer to collect the food before the order can be completed.
Riders are also able to make orders contact-less if they wish by letting customers know through the app before they arrive.
A spokesperson from deliveroo said the safety of its riders and customers is the company’s top priority.
“We remain in daily contact with local health officials to make sure we are offering the safest service possible to customers, riders and restaurants,” the spokesperson said.
Deliveroo is an award-winning delivery service founded in 2013 and currently works with over 80,000 restaurants, as well as 50,000 riders globally.
Deliveroo partners with 8,000 riders nationally who on average choose to work 15 hours a week.
Rider numbers have grown by 50 per cent over the past year demonstrating the growth in new ways of working in the on-demand economy.
Headquartered in London, Deliveroo operates in over 500 places including 13 cities across Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Geelong, Wollongong, Hobart, Newcastle, Cairns and Penrith.
Deliveroo has launched a fund to support riders who are diagnosed with Coronavirus and find that they are unable to work during this period, enabling them to be eligible for financial support.
Deliveroo’s Founder, Will Shu said the company is working with a leading pharmacy brand to set up a voucher scheme to give all riders access to free hand sanitisers and masks.
“Whilst we are setting all this up, we will be refunding riders for hand sanitisers they purchase,” he said.
“As well as supporting our riders, we are sending frequent updates to our restaurant partners to share advice with them on what they can do to ensure food is prepared safely and packaged correctly for delivery.”