Melbourne schools banning Uber Eats over safety fears

Uber Eats’ popularity may be growing, but an increasing number of Victorian private schools are banning food delivery services on campus. This is why.

A growing number of schools have outlawed Uber Eats. Picture: AAP

Uber Eats is off the menu at another school with Trinity Grammar citing safety risks of boys meeting delivery drivers in and around the school for the ban.

The Kew school joins a growing number of schools banning Uber Eats and other food delivery services.

The ongoing issues with the delivery services come despite Uber Eats’ stated policy that people under 18 cannot have an Uber Eats account.

Earlier this year Melbourne Girls’ College warned students confiscation of the food and detention would be given if girls ordered Uber Eats or other food services.

Trinity has told families that its cafeteria, staffed by parent volunteers, should provide the students not bringing their lunch from home with adequate options.

“Boys should not order food for delivery to the school via Uber Eats or any other delivery service. Our cafeteria already provides a range of delicious and nutritious meals for the boys and staff, and there can be safety risks involved with boys meeting delivery drivers in and around the school. Food from the cafe can be paid for with their student accounts or in cash,” the school said.

Schools are wary of food being delivered onto their grounds. Picture Rohan Kelly

In late February, Melbourne Girls College principal Karen Money said staff had noticed two deliveries and had decided to “nip it in the bud”.

She said the school had a duty of care to students and did not know if the people delivering the food had Working With Children clearances.

She said while the school canteen was not perfect, it was “trying to promote healthy eating as much as we can”.

“It is not widespread. A teacher saw it being delivered and then we saw another delivery,” she said.

The school cautioned girls against meeting drivers off site, allowing them to pass orders through fences or getting to deliver into the school grounds.

Uber Eats’ community guidelines say that people need to be 18 years or older to have an Uber Eats account. Many of the Year 12 students would be 17, turning 18.

“If your child is using your account to receive food, a parent or guardian must be with them when the order is delivered,” the community guidelines state.

Schools have become increasingly concerned about unauthorised people wandering around schools, dropping off orders.

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St Catherine’s, in Toorak, and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary School and Geelong College are among schools banning delivery services.

In the case of Canterbury Girls, the school said there were issues around unauthorised access to school, additional workload for the administration staff and unregulated food.

An Uber Eats spokeswoman did not return calls but has previously said it did not encourage deliveries to schools and the Uber Eats’ terms and conditions clearly stated that users needed to be 18 year of age.

“In our community guidelines for delivery partners, we state: All deliveries to schools should be made through the school reception or equivalent in accordance with the school authority’s official procedures,” she said.

“Please remember, as a delivery partner, you have the right to cancel deliveries to unsupervised minors. This will not impact your cancellation rate.”

She said Uber Eats respected policy decisions made by schools.

The Department of Education and Training said policies on food delivery services were made at a local level by individual schools in consultation with their communities.

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