A businessman can no longer deliver to his own shop thanks to Huddersfield’s new bus gates.
Newsagent Rashid Ullah has run Westgate News since 1987.
But when Kirklees Council’s new traffic enforcement system launched last Monday – known as bus gates – Mr Ullah found he could not drive to his own shop.
If he does drive to his Westgate shop between 8am and 6pm he will be fined £60 each time.
Mr Ullah has said he “might as well give his keys to the council” as he cannot run his shop anymore.
Watch: Huddersfield's new bus gates
The closest legal parking to his premises is on the narrow and congested Station Street – a part of the busy one way loop created by the council to keep traffic out of town.
The nearest official loading bay is some 300 yards away on New Street outside KFC.
With deliveries some times requiring dozens of trips to unload the van, Mr Ullah could end up walking more than a mile just to restock his shop.
Mr Ullah said the traffic restrictions were causing a health and safety issue and threatening the viability of his business.
“I can’t last long like this,” he said.
“I might as well hand my keys to the council and let them take it on.
“When I unload the stock, it is usually heavy and in some cases extremely valuable stock such as tobacco and alcohol.
“Week in week out for nearly 30 years I have parked outside for a few minutes with the hazards lights on and never inconvenienced anyone in the process.
“If I do not park immediately outside Westgate News and have to carry the stock some distance it is not practical or safe.
“It is dangerous to carry heavy boxes and high value items a long way on a public footpath.
“Huddersfield is wonderful town with kind people who are simply driven away now from the town centre with extreme traffic measures and parking charges, is this the way Huddersfield wants to go.
“It is so difficult to keep any business afloat in the current economic climate and has been for the last seven years.
“I keep struggling along because I want to support Huddersfield in every way I can and have done so and this is not the way to help me by restricting my business logistically.”
Green councillor, Andrew Cooper, who represents the town centre, said he was in favour of bus gates but hoped the council could iron out the problems to allow deliveries to shops.
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He said: “I’ve asked officers to meet with shopkeepers and businesses to find a solution, whether that be some kind of a pass or certain times that they are allowed in.
“It’s frustrating that these issues have come out after the bus gates have come in. It does make you wonder how well the consultation was done.”
