Israel's Road Safety Authority Files Police Complaint Against Wolt and CEO Tomer Cohen

Israel's National Road Safety Authority has filed a police complaint against delivery company Wolt and its CEO, Tomer Cohen, over traffic violations by its couriers, and asked police to consider a court order suspending the company's operations. Yahoo reported the complaint on November 10, 2026.

Wolt is a Helsinki-based delivery platform that operates in 28 countries, connecting consumers with merchants and couriers for food, grocery, retail and pharmacy orders, according to akta.pro company records.

Edrei's Complaint and the 40-Vehicle Rule

National Road Safety Authority Council Chairman Israel Police Deputy-Chief (ret.) Moti Edrei sent the complaint to the head of the Israel Police Traffic Division, Assistant-Chief Haim Shmueli. Edrei called for a criminal investigation into Wolt and Cohen and for immediate enforcement measures, including consideration of a court order to suspend Wolt's operations.

The complaint cites Regulation 579 of Israel's Traffic Regulations, which defines an enterprise as a 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, and the authority holds registration numbers for approximately 214 motorcycles, scooters and other vehicles used by couriers involved in reported road safety incidents.

The authority argues that Wolt therefore qualifies as an enterprise and must appoint a traffic safety officer, an obligation it says the company has repeatedly failed to meet. Regulation 580(a) also places personal responsibility on the CEO, according to the complaint. Wolt disputes the interpretation, saying its couriers are independent contractors rather than employees.

Edrei said the authority contacted Cohen in September demanding that Wolt appoint a traffic safety officer and set a binding action plan, and that the company's response lacked implementation deadlines, measurable targets and monitoring mechanisms. Wolt said the authority had turned courier safety into a public relations campaign, adding: "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."

Wolt's Scale Across 28 Countries

Wolt operates in 28 countries and 1,000 cities, a footprint covering a population of 400 million people, according to company records. The same records put the platform's economic activity across its markets over 10 years at EUR 19 billion, verified by Copenhagen Economics, and local merchant sales facilitated through the platform over the same period at EUR 15 billion.

Earlier Warnings on Courier Accidents

During a Knesset discussion in 2021, National Road Safety Authority 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 Yahoo. Laor Drori said accidents involving couriers more than doubled within a year, from 10 in 2020 to 24 in 2021, and that "It is unacceptable for couriers' financial motivation to drive them to endanger their own lives and the lives of others."

Where the Complaint Goes Next

Copies of Edrei's 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. The complaint asks police to investigate Wolt and Cohen and to prevent couriers who fail to meet legal requirements from continuing their activities.