DELIVEROO will roll out a trial early next month for 50 delivery persons to send meals on foot in the Central Business District (CBD), instead of having to ride an e-scooter, bicycle or motorcycle.

From July 8, the selected group of “walkers” will deliver food to customers in areas including Marina Bay, City Hall and Little India, according to an e-mail that Deliveroo sent to selected riders, seen by The Business Times. The trial will end on Aug 4.

In the e-mail, Deliveroo noted that riders face difficulties in finding a place to park in the CBD. In addition, the CBD is small with a high concentration of orders, meaning that riders travel less for every order compared to other zones.

When asked about the trial, a Deliveroo spokesman told BT: “Some of our riders who regularly deliver in the CBD have fed back that it is easier to get around on foot as traffic can be quite heavy during peak hours.

“We also have an Employee Rider Programme where Deliveroo employees complete deliveries to better understand the challenges riders face ... Many of the employees have tried walking and found it to be effective, which was why we decided to trial this,” she added.

Get the latest on startups

and business news Terms & conditions Sign up

Walkers who join the trial will not be required to maintain a vehicle, such as an e-scooter or motorcycle. They will also get to enjoy incentives for completing deliveries during peak hours.

After the trial ends, Deliveroo will gather feedback from the walkers, before rolling it out to the wider fleet of delivery persons, the spokesman said.