The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Big Macs and big queues as SIX McDonald’s open
Police forced to intervene to manage traffic as popular takeaway re-opens six city drive-thrus
The mad rush for a McDonald’s in Peterborough forced police to intervene as traffic queues built near the drivethru takeaways.
The fast food chain announced on Wednesday that was it re-opening six drivethrus in the city which had closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, prompting large numbers of motorists to visit their nearest outlet.
Queues were especially bad at Boongate with a high number of vehicles throughout the day, leading to a large build-up of traffic.
A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: “Officers attended the McDonald’s in Padholme Road East this afternoon to assist with the flow of traffic in the area.
“The road was not closed and officers assisted while McDonald’s staff reassessed their drive-thru policy to deal with demand.”
McDonald’s has opened its drive-thrus at Bourges Boulevard, Boongate, Hampton, Morrisons, Glinton and Eye Green from 11am to 10pm.
Spending is capped at £25, the drive-thrus will be open from 11am-10pm and customers are encouraged to pay by contactless payment methods wherever possible.
Perspex screens will be installed at Drive Thru windows and employees will wear protective equipment, and there will also be Perspex screens and floor markings in specific areas in the restaurant and kitchen.
The chain is only opening drive-thrus in the South East of England and Dublin as part of a trial.
It hopes to re-open all drive-thrus by early June.
The decision to open six drive-thrus in Peterborough and none in major cities including Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester sparked a huge reaction on social media, with Peterborough trending at number four in the UK on Twitter.
A spokesman for the chain said they would be working with the council and police to keep people safe. He said : “We expect high demand across all locations. We are working with local authorities and we may determine that it is necessary to close our Drive Thru lanes is queues cause disruption or put our employees or customers at risk.”
The news came as Five Guys in Peterborough reopened. The burger restaurant has re-opened its outlet in Church Street for delivery and click and collect. Click and collect, customers will be prompted to pay before visiting.