Fifth food delivery rider killed in three months on Australian roads - as 'massive safety crisis' hits the industry and workers are urged to put down phones

A food delivery driver who died after being struck by a truck in Sydney has become the fifth delivery worker to be killed on Australian roads in just three months.

The man was hit by a truck carrying an excavator at the intersection of Chalmers and Cleveland streets in the inner suburb of Surry Hills at about 6.40pm on Monday.  

Paramedics attended but were unable to save the delivery rider, who died at the scene. 

A food delivery rider was fatally struck by a truck carrying an excavator at the intersection of Chalmers and Cleveland streets in Surry Hills at about 6.40pm on Monday

The truck driver, in his 30s, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital for mandatory testing.

Police established a crime scene and officers from the Crash Investigation Unit are now investigating what caused the fatal collision.  

The latest delivery rider death comes just two days after another died in Sydney.

Bangladeshi student Bijoy Paul, 27, died after he was hit by a car in the southern Sydney suburb of Rockdale while delivering for UberEats on Saturday.  

Three other food delivery riders have died across Sydney and Melbourne since September.

Chow Khai Shien, a 36-year-old man from Malaysia who worked for delivery app DoorDash, died after he was hit by an allegedly stolen car in the Melbourne CBD on October 24. 

Bangladeshi student Bijoy Paul , 27, died after he was hit by a car in the southern Sydney suburb of Rockdale while delivering for UberEats on Saturday

On September 29, 43-year-old Xiaojun Chen, who worked for app Hungry Panda, died after his motorcycle collided with a bus in Zetland, Sydney. 

Just two days earlier, Uber Eats rider Dede Fredy, 36, died of injuries three days after being struck by a car in Sydney's Marrickville, leaving behind family in Indonesia. 

NSW Labor gig economy spokesman Daniel Mookhey said the deaths exposed the urgent need for stronger workplace health and safety laws.

'A massive safety crisis is unfolding in the gig economy. It will get worse over summer,' Mr Mookhey said in a statement on Tuesday.

'No industry should be left to write their own rules. Every day of inaction puts more lives at risk.'  

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance on Tuesday said his department would hold talks with food delivery companies about what was causing the succession of fatal collisions, but advised riders and drivers to avoid using mobile phones and to wear Hi-Vis jackets.

Chow Khai Shien , a 36-year-old man from Malaysia who worked for delivery app DoorDash, died after he was hit by an allegedly stolen car in the Melbourne CBD on October 24

Michael Kaine of the Transport Workers' Union demanded the federal government establish a tribunal to investigate safety measures in gig economy work.

'These are family people, people for whom it's their primary source of income, it's work that is important in our modern economy and it's being left open to this kind of exploitation to the point that people are dying,' Mr Kaine told ABC radio on Tuesday.

'Clearly we want this type of service, we don't want to crimp that. We just want to make sure it's provided on the same basis every other Australian worker gets.'

In a statement, Mr Kaine said 'food delivery riders are literally dying because of the Federal Government's inaction'. 

'Companies like Uber do not care whether their workers live or die so long as the food gets delivered on time. That is clear from the lack of training and protective gear for riders,' Mr Kaine said.   

'The law has not kept up and is failing to protect workers. It is no longer an option for the Federal Government and the states to pass the buck between them, we need action now.' 

A DoorDash spokeswoman said 'the health and safety of our community is our priority'.

'DoorDash is leading the way in support of delivery workers in Australia and around the world amidst the ongoing pandemic and beyond,' he said.  

'We’re committed to helping ensure a safe and healthy work environment, partnering with policymakers to develop modern frameworks that extend new protections and benefits, while preserving the flexibility Dashers value most.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Uber and Hungry Panda for comment.  

FIVE DELIVERY RIDER DEATHS ON AUSSIE ROADS IN THREE MONTHS

An Uber Eats rider delivers food without wearing a helmet in Tokyo, Japan in March