Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- High usage rates of motorcycle delivery services
- High satisfaction of delivery customers, who are very considerate about delays
- Positive relationship between delivery customers and riders
- Mandate towards delivery brands to look better after their riders
- Moderate levels of perceived aggressive driving of delivery riders
- In case of aggressive riding, low tolerance of other road users
Much is talked and written about the omni-present motorcycle delivery riders and their behavior on UAE roads.
“We wanted to elevate the discussion about the behavior of motorcycle riders from anecdotal evidence to a fact-based and well researched approach. We are a very analytical and numbers-based organization and we saw it within our corporate DNA to team up with RoadSafetyUAE to jointly work on this highly debated area, as the convenient delivery by motorcycle became part of our everyday life and we all can related to it one way or another.”, said Muralikrishnan Raman, Chief Financial Officer, Al Wathba Insurance.
A staggering 63% of respondents use motorcycle food deliveries daily, multiple times or at least one time per week. A further 20% at least once per month, and only 17% less than once a month or never.
For other deliveries (groceries, pharma, etc.), 46% use motorcycle deliveries daily, multiple times or at least one time per week, and 28% at least once a month. 26% use this service less than once a month or never.
| How often do you utilize motorcycle delivery? | FOOD deliveries | OTHER deliveries |
| Base | 1031 | 1031 |
| Daily | 12% | 8% |
| Multiple Times per Week | 29% | 18% |
| Once a Week | 22% | 20% |
| Every two Weeks | 10% | 13% |
| Once a Month | 10% | 16% |
| Less | 10% | 16% |
| Never | 7% | 10% |
85% of delivery customers state ‘the delivery usually arrives on time and within your expectation’ and only 15% state the opposite. 80% of delivery customers would have no problem ‘if the delivery arrives two minutes later than expected’ and 64% would have no problem ‘if the delivery arrives five minutes later than expected’.
| Yes – Agree | No – Disagree | |
| Does the delivery usually arrive on time and within your expectation | 85% | 15% |
| Is it OK for you if your delivery arrives TWO MINUTES LATER than expected | 80% | 20% |
| Is it OK for you if your delivery arrives FIVE MINUTES LATER than expected | 64% | 36% |
Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE states: “These numbers underline the strong public acceptance of motorcycle deliveries and at the same time, a very high number (85%) of delivery customers are happy with the timeliness of the service. Importantly, 80% of delivery customers would not even mind if the service arrives 2 minutes later than expected and 64% would not mind a delayt of even 5 minutes! This is of fundamental importance from a road safety perspective! Considering advertised delivery times of 15 minutes and media-quoted average delivery times of 28 minutes, 2-5 minutes more time for delivery rider would mean a lot to them in terms of displaying a more safety-centric riding style! It is important for the well-known delivery brands and their riders to be aware of these customer statements! A high proportion (60%) of delivery customers even state that they ‘tell their rider to make sure he drives safely’, which is amazing!”.
The perception and behavior of the delivery customers towards their riders is very important as it directly impacts the mindset and the behavior of riders, and many delivery customers (62%) tip their riders and offer them refreshments like in the hot summer period, and the vast majority (80%) is happy with the cleanliness of the delivery box and 71% also with the appearance of their rider.
| Yes – Agree | No – Disagree | |
| Do you usually tip your motorcycle delivery rider | 62% | 38% |
| Do you usually tell your rider to make sure he drives safely | 60% | 40% |
| Do you sometimes offer your rider a refreshment, like in hot summer or a little snack | 62% | 38% |
| Do you feel comfortable with the appearance of your rider and his overall condition | 71% | 29% |
| Do you feel your rider maintains cleanliness of the delivery box | 80% | 20% |
However, delivery customers have a different view with regards to the treatment of their riders by the well-known delivery brands, whereby only a bit more than half (58%) think the riders are well looked after. Less than half (46%) of the delivery customers think their rider is relaxed about his job.
| Yes – Agree | No – Disagree | |
| Do you think the motorcycle delivery brands look well after the riders | 58% | 42% |
| Do you feel your rider is relaxed about his job | 46% | 54% |
When probed about the interaction of road users with delivery riders on our roads, 44% state they ‘strongly agree & agree’ that delivery riders seem to be in a hurry, but only the minority (27%) ‘strongly agree & agree’ that delivery riders drive aggressively or are a nuisance on the roads (19%). However, in case respondents are confronted with aggressive driving of delivery riders, only 28% tolerate their behavior.
| Strongly Agree / Agree | Disagree / Strongly Disagree | |
| They seem to be in a hurry | 44% | 18% |
| They drive aggressively and not safely | 27% | 34% |
| They are a nuisance on our roads | 19% | 39% |
| I tolerate their aggressive driving because they are always in a rush of delivering on time | 28% | 30% |
“Summarizing the learnings of this study, the need and acceptance of motorcycle deliveries in the UAE is undisputed. The relationship between delivery customers and their riders seems to be a good one, and customers even allow certain delays which should come as a big relief to riders. The well-known delivery brands and their contracted fleet operators should share these findings with their riders and strengthen their rider related efforts in order to improve the public’s perception of their caring attitude towards their riders. Time pressure has to be taken out of the system to the benefit of the riders and the delivery brands they represent on the roads, as there is little tolerance towards aggressive riding.”, concludes Edelmann.
The fieldwork of this research project was conducted in December 2024. It was commissioned by Al Wathba Insurance jointly with RoadSafetyUAE, and conducted by YouGov (representative UAE sample n=1,031).
