In Whitechapel, one of London's densest areas for restaurants and takeaways, delivery riders have become a common sight, transforming the area into a hub of cycling and street socialising.

Delivery apps like Just Eat, Deliveroo and UberEats have reportedly helped London restaurants sell an additional 900,000 meals per week since 2020.

These riders are making use of the area's cycling infrastructure as riding bicycles and e-bikes allows the riders to quickly navigate through traffic, connecting local restaurants to empty stomachs at home.

94% of the workforce is BAME, and there is a strong Bangladeshi community. Battling with the precariousness of the role, many delivery riders have also must contend with a second job, looking after family or studying.

Alongside the economic benefit, the rise of delivery riders has contributed to a vibrant street culture in Whitechapel. With their bikes, delivery riders are transforming the area into a hub of cycling and street socialising. Some corners of Whitechapel are alive with the sounds of chatter, laughter and camaraderie, as riders take breaks during the long, arduous days and nights of deliveries.

Nurul, 25 from Bangladesh - He built his own electric bike with help from his friend Faruk. He wants to study and get into business. “sometimes work is very busy and other times not - lots of riders around - it’s not consistent,”

Vine Court bustling with riders and locals after prayer

Mabz was a rider for 2 years until he setup his own hairdressing business, 'Urban Fade'- a hub in the community. He employees his brother as a barber

Faruk, 27, the owner of ‘Whitechapel Bikes’ garage and mechanics, helps Nurul to fix his bike

Asnaf, a courier for Deliveroo gets his bike fixed in the local moped garage in Vine Court. He has a reoccurring problem with it and his eager to get back on the road

Fahim, from London, has been a rider for deliveroo for a couple of months.

Cathy, a woman from Manchester, has travelled down with her children to support and show her solidarity during the demo in Whitechapel on March 3rd for Mohammed, a deliveroo driver that collapsed from illness whilst working

Nurul arrives at a restaurant near Liverpool Street to pick up a meal for his next delivery

Nurul rides to his drop off

Green Leaf cafe, managed by Ashef, has been open for 3 years and is very popular amongst locals, especially for their masala chai

Nurul, Faruk and their friends break their fast during Iftar with food prepared by Faruk's sister-in-law. They were very quick to offer me a seat to eat with them

Luciana, riding for 2 years, drops off a delivery to a man in a local flat

A courier delivering at a local flat

A courier waits to drop off a delivery

A rider scans for a job outside McDonalds

Riders have a short break in the early hours of the morning