Delivery workers band together to stay safe

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — In the worst of the pandemic, with New York City connected lockdown, an service of 65,000 transportation workers connected bikes kept the metropolis fed, often risking their lives, but galore of them person go targets of convulsive criminals.

CBS2’s Maurice DuBois spoke to immoderate of these workers astir the work they execute and however they’re banding unneurotic to enactment safe.

READ MORE: Police: Armed Suspects Try To Steal E-Bike From Food Delivery Worker In Brooklyn

A dark, isolated agelong on the Willis Avenue Bridge connecting Manhattan and the Bronx is the cleanable spot for an onslaught connected nutrient transportation workers. It’s wherever thieves ambushed 1 man, bushed his look and made disconnected with his livelihood — a $2,000 electrical bike.

“They bushed him with a concatenation oregon immoderate they have,” Juan Tapia said.

It’s happened dozens of times successful caller months, and Tapia and Sergio Solano are retired to halt it.

“We don’t privation to combat with anybody. We conscionable support ourselves,” Solano said.

The “Delivery Boys,” arsenic they’re known, patrol the country aft their shifts, helping transportation workers transverse the span safely.

During the pandemic, transportation workers, often making beneath minimum wage, were outside, facing utmost weather, hazardous streets, including deadly hit-and-runs, and the changeless menace of robbery.

Some transportation workers were assaulted erstwhile they tried to halt the theft of a bike.

Cheick Mohamed, a 26-year-old migrant from Mali, has been a transportation idiosyncratic for 2 years.

“You interest astir getting hurt,” DuBois said.

“Yes,” Mohamed said.

DuBois met up with Mohamed astatine a motorcycle repair shop, a refuge for dozens of these indispensable workers.

“You’ve been deed by cars,” DuBois said.

“Yes,” Mohamed said.

“By taxis,” DuBois said.

“Yes,” Mohamed said.

“You’ve had your motorcycle stolen,” DuBois said.

“Uh-huh. Every day, I’m worrying thing other tin hap to maine connected the street,” Mohamed said.

READ MORE: Caught On Video: Delivery Worker Robbed At Gunpoint In Brooklyn

In a caller survey, 54% of transportation workers, galore of them immigrants, reported being robbed and 30% said they were assaulted during the robbery.

“So wherefore is it important for you to beryllium present each night?” DuBois asked Tapia.

“It’s important for me. I support my guys. I support my people,” Tapia said.

The Delivery Boys pass successful existent clip implicit apps, sending alerts whenever idiosyncratic is successful trouble.

“You get present and past what?” DuBois said.

“When they spot those guys each together, they can’t bash anything,” Tapia said.

“Strength successful numbers,” DuBois said.

“Yes,” Tapia said.

“Did you consciousness similar possibly you could get shot, you could get cut?” DuBois said.

“Yes,” Solano said. “Last week, we person a feline changeable … conscionable due to the fact that they wanna instrumentality his bike.”

This year, 10 transportation workers were killed connected the job. These deaths were the past straw for the Delivery Boys. They started protesting and lobbying metropolis officials.

In September, New York City passed measures to amended moving conditions and acceptable minimum pay, but it’s hard to legislate safety.

“If determination was cipher protecting this span similar you are, what would happen?” DuBois said.

“They travel back,” Tapia said.

“They’d travel close back?” DuBois said.

“That’s gonna happen,” Tapia said.

“So you person to stay?” Dubois said.

“We person to stay,” Tapia said.

MORE NEWS: New York City Council Votes In Favor Of Food Delivery Worker Protections

The bills passed by City Council successful September outline basal moving standards, including minimum per travel payments for workers and ensuring they person entree to bathrooms.