CHENNAI: As part of their awareness campaigns in the run-up to Zero Accident Day (ZAD) which is to be observed on August 26, Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) officers met with representatives of delivery personnel at a hotel in Vadapalani on Saturday.

According to police, about 50,000 delivery personnel frequent the city roads everyday, working for platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Bigbasket, Dunzo, Amazon.

"Most of these workers are predominantly young males aged 18-30 and work part-time or flexibly. The GCTP's Zero Accident Day (ZAD) initiatives aim to balance the demands of this growing gig economy with the need for safe traffic conditions," an official release stated.

About 8500 traffic violations were recorded so far in 2024 involving delivery personnel.

A GCTP study revealed that frequent traffic violations among delivery personnel, such as speeding, signal jumping, and non-compliance with helmet laws was high especially during peak hours, underscoring the importance of raising awareness to ensure safer roads for all.

A seminar focusing on road safety was conducted for the participants and they were also shown accident footage.

Quiz competitions on road signage were held, with gifts awarded to the top 20 participants.

Recognition was given to the safest delivery boys and top bike maintenance enthusiasts, police said.