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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ligia Guallpa, Representative of Workers Justice Project and Los Deliveristas Unidos, on NYPD Policy Targeting Cyclists and Delivery Workers
4:51:32
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168 sec
Ligia Guallpa, representing the Workers Justice Project and Los Deliveristas Unidos, condemns the NYPD's new policy of issuing criminal summons to cyclists and delivery workers for traffic violations. She argues that this policy criminalizes immigrant workers and fails to address the root causes of safety issues in delivery work.
- Guallpa criticizes the policy as targeting working-class people instead of holding accountable large corporations like Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub.
- She calls for alternative solutions such as protected bike lanes, safe bike parking, designated delivery zones, and battery swap charging stations.
- Guallpa advocates for a community-centered approach focused on education and worker protection rather than criminalization.
Ligia Guallpa
4:51:32
Oh, there you go.
4:51:33
Okay.
4:51:34
Thank you.
4:51:35
Thank you so much chairs Yousef Salam and Justin Brennan for the opportunity to speak.
4:51:41
My name is Lizia Walpa.
4:51:42
I represent the Workers Justice Project in Los De Liverista, Junidos.
4:51:46
And today, I'm here to call out and condemn the new NYPD reasoned policy that targets cyclists, particularly delivery workers with criminal summons for traffic violations.
4:51:57
Let let's absolutely be clear.
4:51:59
This policy is not about public safety.
4:52:01
It's about criminalizing immigrant workers, the people who actually feed and keep every New Yorker safe.
4:52:07
This crackdown is not is is not just shameful.
4:52:11
It's outrageous and dangerous.
4:52:13
It sends a clear message that our city will rather punish working class people rather than holding accountable multibillion dollar corporations like Uber, DoorDash, Grubhub.
4:52:24
Companies that have created a system where workers are forced to deliver faster, take more risks, and put their own safety on the line in order to avoid being deactivated or losing their own the income that they have.
4:52:37
Today, I heard NYPD commissioner claim that criminal that civil summons were not too harsh enough and that in the name of public safety criminalizing delivery workers and cyclists is ultimately necessary.
4:52:51
That's outrageous and that's a lie.
4:52:54
Let me be clear and let me share with you.
4:52:56
Delivery workers have always been a target of excessive traffic enforcement.
4:53:02
This has already cost thousands of dollars in civil summons to delivery workers hitting where it hurts the most, their pockets, their family income.
4:53:11
So this informant, this this now turning this criminal summons this civil summons into criminal enforcement, it's painful.
4:53:20
The idea that criminalizing on the name of is of of public safety, it's it's a complete lie.
4:53:29
And here I am asking to you for your support.
4:53:32
We need to condemn this type of policies and really address the roots of the core issues.
4:53:38
What workers really need is protected bike lanes, safe and accessible bike parking, designated delivery zones so they don't have to be blocking traffic or being in the pedestrian areas, battery swap charging stations, and a community center approach that is not about criminalizing but educating, protecting workers from the algorithm systems that are exploiting our own people and hardworking New Yorkers.
4:54:03
We look forward to working with you joining forces to calling out to the end of these harmful policies and building real solutions that is about caring for the people that care with that care for every New Yorker during the pandemic instead of treating them as criminals.