Wolt risks being shut down as Road Safety Authority files police complaint over courier violations

NOVEMBER 10, 2026 16:23National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) Council Chairman Israel Police Deputy-Chief (ret.) Moti Edrei has filed a formal police complaint against delivery company Wolt and its CEO, Tomer Cohen, alleging ongoing violations of traffic regulations and serious traffic offenses involving the company's couriers.In a letter to the head of Israel Police Traffic Division, Assistant-Chief Haim Shmueli, Edrei called for a criminal investigation into the company and its CEO, along with immediate enforcement measures, including consideration of a court order to suspend Wolt's operations.Road Safety Authority claims Wolt must appoint traffic safety officerIn his complaint, Edrei cited Regulation 579 of Israel's Traffic Regulations, which defines an enterprise as a company or business operating at least 40 vehicles of specified categories, including motorcycles and private cars.According to Wolt's figures, approximately 20,000 couriers operate through its platform. The NRSA also holds the registration numbers of approximately 214 motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles used by couriers involved in reported road safety incidents, more than five times the threshold specified in the regulation.A Wolt standing under a McDonald's sign, in central Jerusalem. (credit: NATI SHOHAT/FLASH90)Based on these figures, the NRSA argues that Wolt qualifies as an enterprise under the regulation and is therefore required to appoint a traffic safety officer, an obligation the authority claims the company has repeatedly failed to meet.According to the complaint, Regulation 580(a) also places personal responsibility on the company's CEO.Wolt disputes this interpretation, arguing that its couriers are independent contractors rather than employees and that the company is therefore not required to appoint a traffic safety officer to oversee their activities.The company maintains that it addresses every complaint concerning couriers' riding behavior and involvement in accidents. However, it has declined to disclose how many couriers have been removed from its platform following such complaints.Wolt accused of failing to implement road safety measuresAccording to the letter, the NRSA contacted Cohen in September, demanding that Wolt appoint a traffic safety officer and establish a detailed, binding action plan to reduce risks associated with its delivery operations.The authority claims the company's response was insufficient, with Wolt expressing willingness to consider or develop measures in the future without providing implementation deadlines, measurable targets, or defined monitoring mechanisms.The NRSA further alleges that Wolt has not submitted the promised action plan and has yet to appoint a traffic safety officer.Edrei argues that Cohen bears personal responsibility for the alleged failure, claiming that the CEO was aware of the legal requirement and its violation but did not take corrective action.Police urged to investigate Wolt and consider suspending operationsEdrei called on police not only to investigate Wolt and its CEO over suspected violations of traffic laws and regulations, but also to immediately prevent couriers who fail to meet legal requirements from continuing their activities.He urged law enforcement authorities to consider all available measures, including seeking a court order to suspend Wolt's operations.The complaint also calls for increased targeted enforcement against life-threatening traffic violations involving the company's delivery couriers.Supporting materials submitted to police include evidence collected by the NRSA, emergency hotline reports concerning Wolt couriers, vehicle registration numbers, findings from enforcement operations and public complaints, including those compiled by the Tel Aviv Municipality.Copies of the letter were sent to Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev, Israel Police Commissioner Insp.-Gen. Daniel Levy, and Federation of Local Authorities Chairman Haim Bibas.Complaint follows years of warnings over delivery courier accidentsEdrei's complaint follows years of warnings from the NRSA about safety risks involving delivery couriers, which the authority has struggled to translate into effective enforcement measures.During a Knesset discussion in 2021, NRSA deputy director-general for education and public awareness Nehama Laor Drori said 80 people had been injured in accidents involving delivery couriers over the preceding three years.According to Laor Drori, approximately 40% of those incidents involved motorized two-wheelers, while another 7% involved bicycles.She also reported that the number of accidents involving couriers had more than doubled within a year, rising from 10 in 2020 to 24 in 2021."It is unacceptable for couriers' financial motivation to drive them to endanger their own lives and the lives of others," Laor Drori said at the time.The authority's decision to file a police complaint rather than act directly against Wolt highlights the limitations of its enforcement powers.The NRSA lacks independent authority to enforce traffic regulations and depends on other bodies, primarily the police and the Transportation Ministry, to implement the measures it advocates.Meanwhile, previous reporting by Walla indicated that police had reduced enforcement against electric bicycle riders, a form of transportation widely used by Wolt couriers.Wolt rejects allegations, accuses road safety authority of publicity campaignResponding to the complaint, Wolt accused the NRSA of turning the issue of courier safety into a publicity campaign aimed at rehabilitating its own image."Unfortunately, the National Road Safety Authority has turned the issue of courier safety into a public relations campaign to restore its reputation," the company said."Wolt invests significant resources and works continuously to improve road safety for both the public and couriers, as demonstrated in the detailed plan it presented to the authority."The company said it had also requested a meeting with NRSA representatives to advance road safety measures, but claimed the request had gone unanswered."We would have expected the National Road Safety Authority to focus on promoting professional and practical solutions rather than directing its resources against those working toward the same goal," Wolt said.Follow us on Google