The takeaway company Deliveroo will start using food delivery robots in parts of Britain – but its boss insists it will not get rid of human riders. 

The delivery service plans to start using robots in five locations in the coming weeks. 

Deliveroo has been criticised in the past for exploiting the so-called gig economy to fuel its business. 

In August, Reform UK pledged to introduce 'The Deliveroo Law', in reference to claims of illegal migrants using delivery apps to earn money.

Now, in a bid to out-muscle fierce rivals Uber Eats and Just Eat, Deliveroo will use robots by US tech firm Coco, which has an exclusive deal with the takeaway brand. 

The Deliveroo-blue branded robots are on four wheels and use an AI navigation system to get around. 

The robots will operate in Canary Wharf in east London as well as Milton Keynes, Leeds, Stockton-on-Tees and Nottingham, where councils already allow robot deliveries. 

But Deliveroo lobbyists are attempting to seek permission with councils across Britain, as well as the Department for Transport, to roll out the technology more widely, according to The Times. 

Despite this, chief executive of Deliveroo, Miki Kuusi, insisted that robots would not replace human riders. 

He said: 'This is not about replacing people.

'Especially in high-density, urban environments, you’re always going to need people who do deliveries. It’s more about what the optimal fleet split is.

'There’s no sense … having enough autonomous vehicles to do deliveries on a Friday night’s peak, because … you’re going to have a massive amount of robots that are not needed other times of the day or the week.'

Deliveroo's competitors, such as Just Eat are also looking to automate parts of their business in the drive for growth. 

Just Eat uses robots by tech firm Starship to deliver food in some areas of Britain. 

The robots are not without controversy.

In July, walking charity Living Streets warned Co-op that the robots used to deliver groceries could make pavements less safe and accessible for the elderly and the disabled. 

The charity claimed the small six-wheeled robots could create particular problems for older and disabled people and that pavements should not be treated as logistics routes. 

Older people who rely on walking to local shops as part of their daily routine were most at risk, Living Streets said.

The robots are currently used in areas including Leeds, Milton Keynes and Northampton, according to creatorzine.

But Deliveroo's boss argued that 'when you actually see these things on the streets and how they work as a part of the city, the reality is that they blend in quite well'.   

US delivery giant DoorDash bought Deliveroo in October 2025 for £2.9billion. 

Deliveroo was started in 2013 by US national Will Shu and Greg Orlowski after Mr Shu became dismayed about the lack of late-night food delivery options in London. 

Mr Kuusi said: 'A plastic box on wheels rolling around a city is incredibly energy-efficient, the hardware can be very low-cost, and that ultimately makes the service a lot more affordable.' 

A Daily Mail investigation in August found migrants living in illegal tent shanty towns were working as delivery drivers for brands such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. 

A Deliveroo spokesman said at the time: 'We are extremely concerned to hear these reports and take these claims seriously. We have requested further information to investigate these, and we encourage anyone affected to contact us directly.

'We take a zero tolerance approach to illegal working on our platform. All riders, whether they are main account holders or substitutes, have to verify their Right to Work documents during the onboarding process, and before they can make any deliveries with Deliveroo.'

Deliveroo riders continue to be classed as self-employed and so do not get the benefits of regular employment such as sick pay or pension contributions. 

The company has said it has cracked down on illegal working by running a right to work check on all its riders.