Food orders to be paused for up to 30 mins daily

Every year, road safety experts have called on motorists and pedestrians to be more cautious while on the road as traffic accidents usually increase during Ramadan.

Delivery companies are now reminding UAE residents to order their food early during Iftar time; otherwise, they may face delays. Many of them are putting deliveries on hold around this time to help fasting riders.

According to RoadSafety UAE’s Ramadan accident surveys, peak accident timings are around pre-Iftar (between 2pm and 5pm) and the morning rush hour from 8am to 10am. With several people rushing to various places during Iftar, motorists and delivery riders are warned to be careful around this time.

While Careem has decided to pause all delivery orders for 30 minutes during Iftar to give their 'captains' time to rest and break their fast, Talabat is posting in-app notifications warning of delays at the time of iftar. Deliveroo riders can also log out to take a break for Iftar.

Careem will be providing iftar meals to its captains at least three times a week during Ramadan in the UAE, KSA, Jordan, Pakistan, and Egypt. Employees of the company across all markets will also participate in different volunteering activities, including meal distribution and hospital visits with young cancer patients.

Talabat provides its riders flexible working schedules, offers them discounts at 20 restaurants and invites them to Iftar gatherings. The service has increased its safety communication with riders by 300 per cent in Ramadan to enhance awareness of road safety rules — especially during peak rush hours — and remind them to take instantly approved breaks whenever needed.

Deliveroo riders are also encouraged to visit the company’s ‘Roo Vans’ to collect a complimentary Iftar meal between 5pm and 7pm. The company will also distribute more than 12,000 snack packages to riders across several sites; host iftar gatherings; and give bonuses to top-performing riders.

In addition to this, Talabat and Deliveroo are giving select riders tickets or funds to go back home Eid. Talabat has also launched an Eidiya campaign to distribute rewards to riders during Eid.