Berlin-Pankow takes action against gorillas

There is growing resistance to the delivery service in Berlin. Now the district of Pankow is initiating legal proceedings against the start-up.

Not everyone likes the 10-minute delivery service Gorillas: the Berlin district of Pankow now wants to take legal action against the start-up. "We will step on Gorillas' toes again and again", says city councillor Daniel Krüger (AfD), according to the Berliner Morgenpost. The district is initiating administrative offense proceedings. Gorillas has until mid-June to respond.

The problem: "Sidewalks are probably being used specifically for the storage and handling of goods," Krüger tells the Morgenpost. "A private logistics center on our sidewalks is not permitted and not right," Maximilian Schirmer (Die Linke), the chairman of the Pankow Economic Committee, told the Morgenpost. The veterinary office is now to check whether the storage on the street is also perishable food. Gorillas has promised the Pankow public order office its full cooperation. The start-up wants to remedy the shortcomings.

However, the problems are not only to be found in Pankow. All six Berlin districts except Mitte have reported complaints about Gorillas, reports Gründerszene. Gorillas has 15 hubs in the capital from which orders are delivered. There are repeated complaints about bicycles parked on the sidewalk and about the "reckless riding of bicycle couriers against the direction of travel". The coronavirus rules are also said to not always be observed. There are said to be too many people in the camps, often without distance and without masks. Drivers who wait in front of the warehouse because of this often trigger complaints about disturbances, writes Gründerszene. In the other cities where Gorillas is active, there have apparently been no complaints so far.