ENHANCING THE SAFETY OF MOTORCYCLE FOOD DELIVERY RIDERS IN QATAR: A MULTIDIMENSIONAL ASSESSMENT

Abstract

The rapid growth of online food delivery services has created a new vulnerable class of road users: Motorcycle Food Delivery Riders (MFDRs). This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation of MFDR traffic safety in Qatar by examining the problem through the Safe Systems Approach (SSA) and the Knowledge - Attitude - Practice (KAP) framework to evaluate the perspectives of riders, other road users, and the work system. The research utilised cross-sectional surveys, advanced statistical modelling, and mediation analysis to examine the complex interactions among factors associated with MFDR traffic safety outcomes. The findings identify key safety priorities to enhance MFDR safety in Qatar. While helmet use was high, the adoption of other protective gear was low, primarily due to climatic factors and a lack of awareness of safety standards. Moreover, workrelated riders followed pre-ride safety checks but engaged in more risky riding, likely due to occupational pressure. Furthermore, perceived safety and prior crash experience were associated more with standard gear use than demographics. From the driver's perspective, MFDRs were frequently observed engaging in high-risk behaviours (tailgating/weaving). Moreover, drivers with no motorcycle riding experience and those who underestimated the inherent difficulties of motorcycle riding were at a higher risk of crashing with MFDRs, highlighting a gap in shared road user understanding. Statistical modelling revealed that the critical factors associated with traffic safety outcomes were occupational (trip-based payment, high daily trip counts, and high annual distance travelled), making demographic factors largely insignificant. Mediation analysis revealed that work characteristics directly influence the pathways from knowledge and attitude to risky riding practices. For fatigue management, the path operates through an indirect mediation: greater knowledge promotes more risk-averse attitudes, which in turn reduce risky practices. The thesis concludes that countermeasures, which focus on individual rider are insufficient. An integrated intervention strategy by: regulatory reform of MFDR payment/dispatch models; occupation-specific training for riders and mandatory awareness for drivers; dissemination of knowledge related to standard safety gears and promotion of climate-adaptive protective gear; and data-driven safety strategies are necessary. Moreover, the primary responsibility for change must shift from the individual rider to all authorities that design the work system, thereby enhancing occupational and traffic safety.