Delivery Riders Block Santa Fe Over Semovi Plate and License Plan
App delivery riders blocked roads in Santa Fe on Nov. 9 to protest Semovi's proposed special plates and licenses. The agency opened a dialogue table.
Delivery workers who use apps blocked several roads in Santa Fe, one of Mexico City’s main office districts, on the morning of Monday, Nov. 9. They are protesting a proposal from the city’s Mobility Secretariat (Semovi) to require a special “mercantile” plate and a specific license for riders on motorcycles and other vehicles. Semovi said it would set up a dialogue table with the riders the same day, according to El Universal.
Drivers and office workers had trouble reaching Santa Fe, according to Publimetro México.
Where the blockades were
Publimetro reported blockades near Vasco de Quiroga and avenida Carlos Fernández, at the Centro Comercial Santa Fe, at the Glorieta de Santa Fe and on the México-Toluca highway near Carlos Echánove. It also listed the crossing of avenida Tamaulipas and avenida Santa Fe.
El Universal said protesters gathered at avenida Tamaulipas, the on-ramp to the México-Toluca highway and Vasco de Quiroga, stopping vehicles heading west out of the city. It also reported that traffic stayed closed on avenida Mario Pani and at the Glorieta de Santa Fe, and suggested avenida Tamaulipas as an alternative. The protest was still under way when that report was published.
What Semovi is proposing
Semovi is working on a pilot plan to regulate the vehicles used for deliveries. According to Publimetro, the measures include a mercantile plate and a rider license, under a scheme similar to the one for cargo vehicles. El Universal described the protest as aimed at new plating procedures, inspections and administrative requirements for app workers.
What the riders say
The riders say the rules threaten their jobs and add new burdens for people working through platforms such as Uber, DiDi, InDrive and Rappi, according to El Universal. Among their demands is a clear schedule for delivery of holograms (a type of vehicle sticker). They also rejected measures that, they said, make their work harder.
What Semovi says
In a statement, Semovi said the meeting would address the concerns of the sector and shape a strategy so city residents receive adequate services with safety, civil liability and mobility conditions. The secretariat said it remains committed to seeking agreements that benefit the population.
Why it matters
Santa Fe is a major employment zone, and the blockades closed some of its main access points on a weekday morning. For the many residents who order food and goods through apps, the outcome of the talks could change the rules for the riders who deliver them. The pilot plan is part of the city government’s effort to set new conditions for platform workers, according to Publimetro.
What to watch next
The result of the dialogue table was not reported. Details of the pilot plan, including when any plate or license requirement would start, were not given in the sources.
Sources: Publimetro México, El Universal
