A soaring demand for food delivered fast has spawned small armies of couriers 含羞草研究社� and increasing alarm 含羞草研究社� in big cities where scooters, motorcycles and mopeds zip in and out of traffic and hop onto pedestrian-filled sidewalks as their drivers race to drop off salads and sandwiches.

Officials in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., have started cracking down on delivery companies by issuing warning letters, seizing illegally registered or driven vehicles, and launching special street patrols to enforce speed limits. The pushback is not limited to the U.S.: There have also been a series of crackdowns in London and other British cities.

For their part, the delivery companies have pledged to work with city officials to ensure that all of their drivers operate both legally and safely.

In a letter this week to food delivery companies DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber, Boston officials cited an 含羞草研究社渁larming increase in unlawful and dangerous operation of motorcycles, mopeds and motorized scooters含羞草研究社� that they said put the drivers, other motorists and pedestrians 含羞草研究社渋n imminent danger.含羞草研究社�

The letter alleged that some drivers were operating unregistered vehicles and breaking traffic laws, and warned of an imminent crackdown on the vehicles. It also demanded that the companies explain how they can ensure their drivers are operating safely. The Massachusetts State Police said they identified dozens of mopeds and scooters that were improperly registered or being operated by unlicensed drivers. Fourteen illegal mopeds and scooters were seized Wednesday in one Boston neighborhood alone.

In New York City, authorities have seized 13,000 scooters and mopeds so far this year; on Wednesday, they crushed more than 200 illegal mopeds and other delivery vehicles. Authorities in Washington, D.C., meanwhile, launched a program Wednesday called Operation Ride Right to ensure drivers of two-wheeled vehicles are complying with the law. Since it began, authorities have made five arrests and impounded 17 mopeds.

含羞草研究社淭hey have terrorized many of our pedestrians, particularly our senior and older adults,含羞草研究社� New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday at an event in which motorized two-wheeled delivery vehicles were destroyed. 含羞草研究社淩iders who think the rules don含羞草研究社檛 apply to them, they含羞草研究社檙e going to see an aggressive enforcement policy that含羞草研究社檚 in place.含羞草研究社�

When food delivery services had their major resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic, most drivers used cars to deliver their fare. That led to increased traffic congestion, prompting a shift to motorcycles and other two-wheeled modes of transportation.

The drivers, many of them immigrants from Latin American countries but also from West Africa and South Asia, say they are just trying to earn a living and are providing a service that gets customers their food fast.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e not all bad,含羞草研究社� said Luis L贸pez, a delivery driver from the Dominican Republic who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday from his motorcycle in an area of multiple fast-food restaurants near the Boston Public Library. 含羞草研究社淲e come to work, to earn a living, pay the rent and send something to our families.含羞草研究社�

L贸pez, who came to the U.S. about three years ago, acknowledged that some drivers are unlicensed or driving unregistered vehicles, and he含羞草研究社檚 seen them running red lights and onto sidewalks, menacing pedestrians. Some people are so reckless that they含羞草研究社檙e also putting other delivery drivers at risk, he said.

He said he was among a group of 10 delivery drivers outside a Chick-fil-A on Thursday night when a police officer approached them with a flyer describing how to register their scooters and mopeds. The whole group agreed to do just that.

含羞草研究社淲e have to respect the law,含羞草研究社� he said, speaking in Spanish. 含羞草研究社淲e are going to respect the law so that they let us work here.含羞草研究社�

Drivers of motorized two-wheeled vehicles are coming under much more scrutiny than was faced years ago by other gig workers in cars, such as Uber and Lyft drivers, because they can more easily violate traffic laws, said Hilary Robinson, an associate professor of law and sociology at Northeastern University.

The switch to the vehicles 含羞草研究社渋s really an attempt to make low-wage, high-risk labor available so that all of us can have cheap goods and services,含羞草研究社� Robinson said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 perhaps one of the reasons why people are starting to realize that there really is no such thing as a free lunch.含羞草研究社�

William Medina, a delivery worker in New York who is also an organizing leader with the Los Deliveristas Unidos Campaign, blames the delivery companies.

含羞草研究社淭his is a problem that started because the companies force you to complete the deliveries from far distances,含羞草研究社� he said in a telephone interview Friday. Medina started out delivering food on a bicycle, switched to an electric bike, and now is using a moped to make the longer trips.

含羞草研究社淚f you have to complete the delivery 6 miles, 7 miles, you have to complete it,含羞草研究社� he said.

Among those advocating for tougher enforcement in Boston is City Councilor Edward Flynn, who said on Facebook that it 含羞草研究社渃an no longer be the Wild West on the streets of Boston.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淓veryone using city roads needs to abide by the rules of the road. If you含羞草研究社檙e able to go 25 mph like a car 含羞草研究社� you should be licensed, registered, and carry liability insurance in the event of an accident and injury,含羞草研究社� he wrote.

Some Boston residents are supportive of tougher action against the scooters.

含羞草研究社淚 get frustrated when they don含羞草研究社檛 follow the traffic laws,含羞草研究社� said Anne Kirby, a 25-year-old student having lunch in a Boston neighborhood within a few hundred feet of several scooters. 含羞草研究社淚 feel like I almost get hit every day when they go through the crosswalk when it含羞草研究社檚 not their turn to go.含羞草研究社�

But Jaia Samuel, a 25-year-old hospital worker from Boston, was more conflicted. She said she agreed that delivery scooters can be dangerous, but she also acknowledged that she relies heavily on delivery services for her food.

含羞草研究社淚 do think it含羞草研究社檚 unsafe to an extent, the weaving in between cars and the not stopping for red lights,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淏ut I feel like everybody should be able to make a living, so who am I to say anything? It would be unfortunate for me. I would be taking a hit with the crackdown on them. I order a lot of Uber Eats, DoorDash.含羞草研究社�

Three major food delivery services have pledged to work with officials and neighborhood advocates to address the problem.

含羞草研究社淭he overwhelming majority of Dashers do the right thing and like all drivers must follow the rules of the road. If they don含羞草研究社檛, then they face consequences 含羞草研究社� just like anyone else,含羞草研究社� DoorDash said in a statement Wednesday.

Grubhub said its employees already agree to obey all local traffic laws. 含羞草研究社淲hile enforcement of the law is best handled by the police, we take safety seriously and will take action to address any reports of unsafe driving,含羞草研究社� the company said in a statement Thursday.

Michael Casey, The Associated Press