Dubai: An Indian restaurant delivery boy, who was released from prison this week after community members pooled in to raise blood money for him, has said his case should be an eye-opener for other delivery boys.
Mohammad Rafi from Kerala was released on Tuesday after various benefactors helped him pay the blood money to the family of a man who died after the latter’s motorcycle hit his motocycle last year.
He was sentenced to one month in prison, and pay a total of Dh5,600 in fines and Dh100,000 in blood money. His driving licence has also been suspended for six months from the day of his release.
Recalling the accident, Rafi told Gulf News that he was riding the motorcycle belonging to his company when the accident took place on Shaikh Zayed Road in the busy evening on November 28, 2017.
- Mohammad Rafi | Former delivery boy
He said the victim’s sports bike hit his bike from behind and the victim died of a head injury after his helmet flew off following the crash.
“I also suffered minor injuries. But unfortunately he died.”
A case was registered against him as investigators found that both riders had been riding on the left lane and Rafi’s motorcycle’s registration and insurance policy had expired.
Rafi claimed he was asked to use that motorcycle by his manager who sent him to pick up another staff member from the Karama branch to the Jumeirah branch.
“It wasn’t the same bike with delivery box which I usually ride. I shouldn’t have obeyed the manager when he assured that he would take care of things if anything went wrong,” said Rafi.
He urged delivery boys to make sure that the documents of their motorcycles are always intact. “We should not take the risk of riding a bike without proper documents.”
He also highlighted the need for riding within speed limits and obeying other traffic rules including not riding on the hard shoulder, a common practice among speeding delivery boys.
“Companies hire motorcyclists because they can ride fast in traffic to do deliveries. We are under constant pressure from both the companies and the customers. So, most of us are forced to crisscross between vehicles and some ride on the fast lane and hard shoulders.”
Social workers and others who helped Rafi also urged employers and customers to be more considerate to delivery boys.
