Mayor Wu wants app companies to get a permit to deliver food in Boston

Following complaints about delivery drivers creating "dangerous" road conditions, Instacart, DoorDash and other app-based companies may soon need a permit to operate in Boston.

Mayor Michelle Wu filed an ordinance Monday with the city council to require companies to provide all drivers with liability insurance and share new information with the city, including the type of vehicles drivers use, their travel speeds and which neighborhoods see high demand for deliveries.

Wu said the city received “more than 100” calls from residents about “mopeds running red lights, riding on sidewalks ... and causing collisions” last year.

City of Boston Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge said food delivery apps support restaurants and provide convenience to residents, but have “generated unintended consequences.” He said “unsafe driving, illegal parking and increasing congestion,” are upsetting some Bostonians.

Wu said requiring the companies to provide app drivers with liability insurance would better protect bicyclists, pedestrians and other drivers if collisions occur. She added more information on where deliveries are made and driver habits could help the city “improve roadway design, better enforce traffic laws, and ensure that our streets stay safe for everyone.” The companies, she argued, already have access to that data.

Companies that refuse to obtain permits under the proposal could potentially face fines or litigation. City councilors would need to vote to approve the measure before it could take effect.

State Rep. Jay Livingstone, who represents the 8th Suffolk District, said he supports Mayor Wu’s ordinance.

“ No one wants to stop delivery services,” Livingstone said. “All we want is common sense solutions to work with delivery companies to create a safer situation, not only in the streets, but in the sidewalks.”

Several app companies questioned whether the proposal would make roads safer and warned the ordinance could up delivery costs for customers.

A DoorDash spokesperson told WBUR in a statement that the company is “committed” to “helping cities like Boston thrive, while promoting safety in their busiest neighborhoods,” but said the ordinance “misses the mark” and does “little to improve safety for Dashers or the public."

The statement also said that while workers hold "necessary insurance under local laws" and the company carries third-party auto liability insurance, additional insurance costs would "add price hikes for Boston families."

Noting its drivers have "necessary insurance" and follow traffic laws, a Grubhub spokesperson said in a statement that the company was reviewing the ordinance to "understand its potential impact."

“We look forward to working with the city to find solutions that prioritize safety while avoiding unnecessary costs or regulations for both consumers and couriers," the statement read.

Under Wu's proposal, Franklin-Hodge said only companies that serve more than a million orders per year would be required to get the permit.