"Total Demise of Pizza Hut" Predicted as Traffic Wardens Get Tough

WORTHING'S parking blitz is causing Saturday night fever among fast-food customers.
A small army of NCP parking attendants is swooping on cars parked in the town centre while drivers collected take-away meals from places such as Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

And motorists' reactions on returning to their cars were as heated as the food they had just collected.

They were "victims" of stricter enforcement of on-street, no-waiting regulations, a result of local councils taking over parking control from Sussex Police.

More traffic wardens patrolling in more places and for longer hours have been catching out many drivers who have been used to the previous, more relaxed regime.

One of the drivers experiencing the ticket blitz on Saturday, November 24 was was Keith Lockyer, of Bodmin Close, Worthing.

Mr Lockyer said: "I was in town at about 7pm to pick up my son, who was getting a takeaway.

"Parked outside Pizza Hut in my car in the bay, I was approached by a friendly warden asking me to move.

"There were three or four vehicles behind me, all waiting for Pizza Hut take-aways or Kentucky.
"If you were not in your vehicle, you got a ticket.

"I moved around the corner by H. Samuel, where I thought I could park among eight or nine vehicles causing no obstruction, but I was then told by a motorist that he got a ticket there last week!

"By now, there were 20-plus cars going round in circles waiting to pick people up.

"I then saw six wardens, plus their minder on a walkie-talkie, all descend at the same time on parked vehicles, and book them.

"If this is allowed to continue, you will see the total demise of Pizza Hut, Kentucky, possibly Iceland, and the shops that depend so much on take-away food.

"I know why it is happening and it's all about taking money from the motorist again.

"This is persecution at the extreme, as not one vehicle was in any way causing an obstruction.

"We will now not use these stores again, as there is no place elsewhere to park."

Mandy Ainsworth, Worthing Borough Council's on-street parking services manager, said: "The traffic regulations order where he was parked said 'no waiting at any time', and that continued round past H. Samuel as well.

"We would allow for five minutes to load and unload at that time of night, that would be permitted, but those drivers who do not stay with their vehicles are contravening the regulations."

With thanks to The Worthing Herald for bringing this story to us


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