Some council members say the machines would help small businesses with limited parking. Couriers say they would erode potential pay from hitting their pockets.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council members approved sending the topic of autonomous food delivery robots to a committee, an early step toward letting the machines roam the city.
Yet, it’s also one that has rattled some longtime couriers who deliver meals almost everyday.
Some council members, like Deborah Figgs-Sanders, said the robots would help small businesses with limited parking. Certain couriers say the technology will take money out of their pockets.
This story continues below.
Hearing about the proposal hit one such courier, William Kilgore, hard.
“It’s stressing me out,” Kilgore said.
Kilgore has worked for Uber Eats and DoorDash essentially full-time for five years, completing more than 10,000 deliveries on his bike in St. Petersburg. Given the current price of gas, he said he has never seen more people working as delivery couriers.
“There are a lot more people who can’t afford gas right now, can’t afford cars. I’ve even had a couple of the couriers, who I’ve talked to, were driving doing Uber Eats and just couldn’t afford their car anymore, so [they] switched over to the e-bike to do it instead,” Kilgore said. “You’re going to start to see more people out here doing this kind of work and doing this gig work as these companies continue slashing jobs. And people are going to have to revert to do whatever they can to make ends meet.”
He views the robots as a direct hit to workers like him.
“I see it for what it is — it’s an attack on our collective livelihoods,” Kilgore said.
Kilgore said he is paid $2 per Uber Eats delivery and receives about three-fourths of his income from customer tips. He said the robots would significantly cut into that income.
He also doubts the machines can match a human courier.
“They’re not going to be able to get up into these buildings. You’re going to have to come down and meet them. Unlike me, I’ll come right to your door and bring you your food,” Kilgore said.
Council member Figgs-Sanders urged colleagues to weigh a piece of local history before the topic reaches committee.
“We did actually have a company approach the city two years ago to do this. They completed all the documents, proof of insurance and was supposed to start, but for some reason did not,” she said during Thursday’s meeting. “I don’t know what happened with that. Just want to make sure my colleagues have it because at the end of the day, we’re going to be responsible for some of the actions — the pros and cons of it.”
Kilgore said he will organize with more couriers and attend future council meetings to make their voices heard.
Similar food delivery robots are already in use in parts of Miami and Fort Lauderdale.