Demand for food delivery has skyrocketed. So have complaints about some drivers

BOSTON: A soaring demand for food delivered fast has spawned small armies of couriers – and increasing alarm – in big cities where scooters, motorcycles and mopeds zip in and out of traffic and hop onto pedestrian-filled sidewalks as their drivers race to drop off salads and sandwiches.

Officials in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., have started cracking down on delivery companies by issuing warning letters, seizing illegally registered or driven vehicles, and launching special street patrols to enforce speed limits. The pushback is not limited to the US: There have also been a series of crackdowns in London and other British cities.