Food for thought: University reverses delivery rule after row
Shanghai Jiao Tong University has rescinded a regulation that banned food deliverymen from entering its Minhang campus.
In a swift reversal, Shanghai Jiao Tong University has rescinded a rule that banned food deliverymen from entering its Minhang District campus and set up an in-house delivery team to take the meals to students after it drew huge controversy.
The university backpedaled on the new rule on Monday, one day after it was made public, without giving any explanation.
The ban was introduced to minimize safety hazards brought by the recklessly driving deliverymen, the university explained in a previous announcement. The in-house team, organized by Jiao Tong's own service company as a substitute, would seemingly operate in a more orderly manner, with all its staffers registered with the university.
The new rule stipulated that all deliverymen would be banned from entering the campus from September 1. They could have to leave the ordered meals at three designated transit points, from where the in-house delivery team would carry them to the students.
However, the ban instantly raised questions among students who were worried that deliverymen would be discouraged to pick up orders to the Minhang campus as they would have to split half of their fees with the in-house team, news portal Thepaper.cn reported on Tuesday.
Their concerns were echoed by some deliverymen interviewed by The Paper.
A delivery worker surnamed Deng said he usually took 20-30 orders to the Minhang campus each day, earning 4-5 yuan (55 to 69 US cents) per order. He would be very reluctant if he had to give half of what he earns to the in-house delivery team, the report said.
"Why would anyone take such orders if he makes less money," another unnamed deliveryman told The Paper, adding that he would probably transfer such orders to others.
Students also voiced fears that the new policy would extend the delivery time and if there were quality issues with the meals, it would be difficult to identify who was responsible between the two delivery teams.
Deliverymen have been an indispensable part of students' daily life on the immense Minhang campus, covering a staggering 309.25 hectares in the southwestern suburb, equaling almost 434 football pitches.
Their daily operation brought great convenience but also safety risks, with students complaining for years about the couriers' reckless driving.
The school said it would strengthen patrols and crack down on speeding or driving on opposite lanes in order to maintain a safe environment on the campus.
