Starting Monday (Jan. 24), third-party food delivery apps will have to be licensed to operate in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Peter A. Hatch said in a press release on Sunday (Jan. 23).
The new regulation is just one of a group of new laws passed to legislate digital third-party food delivery apps and impose newly developed labor standards for its workers. In addition to requiring a license, delivery apps must be transparent about tips for each delivery, total pay and total tips for the previous day.
See also: NYC Commission Cap Hurts Food Delivery Firms
“Delivery workers risked their lives and served as a lifeline to our city during the pandemic despite them being denied basic worker protections,” Adams said. “With this legislation, we are taking a transformative step in protecting these essential workers, and also supporting our city’s restaurants, to ensure a fair and equitable recovery for all New Yorkers.”
Fee caps on how much apps can charge restaurants is also part of the legislation, as well as a requirement to have a written agreement with eateries to be listed on the app. That rule is expected to give drivers more access to bathroom facilities when picking up orders.
“Throughout the pandemic, delivery workers supported New Yorkers and continue to be essential to our city,” said Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “DCWP’s licensing of third-party food delivery apps is an important step in bringing accountability to the system while protecting workers, customers and restaurants alike.”
Read more: NYC Bodegas Rally to Fight Ultra-Fast Delivery Apps, Dark Stores
Some of the changes include allowing delivery drivers to set limits on distances as well as which tunnels and bridges they won’t use; transparency in advance regarding the route, pay and tips; weekly pay; NYC minimum pay rate excluding tips as of Jan. 23, 2023; and more.
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