Takeaway owner fears bike lane will ruin trade
The owner of a takeaway burger bar in Bath has said a proposed 24-hour bike lane will “decimate” his business.
The cycle track along the Upper Bristol Road will be enclosed with bollards, as part of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s active travel scheme, and will eradicate some parking spaces for delivery vans and residents.
David Amos, 66, owner of Mr D’s takeaway near Nile Street, felt the new scheme was “unnecessary” and “ill-conceived”.
He said: “From my perspective, I have built this business over 39 years and this is the biggest challenge I’ve ever had.
“There will be bollards with white metal posts coming out of them, so our customers can’t even pull in. We also have at least four deliveries a week and people would have to block the road to deliver stuff.”
The businessman added that he thought it would be difficult for people to pull over to let ambulances through, and for disabled and elderly residents to unload their groceries without blocking the road.
Under the Active Travel Scheme, a new bike lane will be created down both sides of the road, between the junctions with Midland Road and Charlotte Street.
According to the council website, “bollards and splitter islands” will be used to separate cyclists from motor vehicles and bypasses at the bus stops will allow them to stay in their lane.
Mr Amos asked why another bike lane was necessary when the Bristol to Bath railway path lay just a few hundred metres away.
Active Travel Scheme proposals also apply to routes between Combe Down and the University of Bath, and on Beckford Road and North Road, between the city centre and the university.
The consultation period for the scheme, which opened on March 4, closed last Friday, but Mr Amos said he had not been aware of the proposals until a neighbour told him this week.
Speaking last week, he said: “We’ve just come through a pandemic and I’ve tried my best to adapt by doing deliveries and stuff. The consultation is closing on Friday and I think they’ve been very vague and not consulted business owners. This is going to be a nightmare for me. Half my customer base will go away and it will decimate my business.
“We’ve had a lot to deal with over the years, four recessions, a pandemic, hassle with licencing, BSE you name it. They want to throw everything at us. Recessions come to an end, but this won’t.”
In response to the businessman’s concerns, Councillor Joanna Wright, joint cabinet member for Transport Services, said the council had been holding an online consultation on the three active travel schemes until March 21.
She added: “We will listen to everyone’s concerns before making a decision on the proposed road improvement scheme, which aims to promote active travel, making it safer and more convenient for people to take short journeys by bike or on foot.”