2 weeks Ago
A resident has branded food delivery drivers an “absolute menace” for using scooters on a pedestrianised area. The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said his “blood is boiling” after several near-misses with Deliveroo drivers “speeding” through the pedestrian area outside the Prince Regent Swimming Complex on Church Street in Brighton . The Deliveroo drivers are collecting orders from nearby Pizza Express.
The resident takes his young daughter to the swimming club twice a week and has been clipped by mopeds seven times this year alone, as well as experiencing “regular near misses”, he said. The resident’s Freedom of Information requests to Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council, asking what action they were undertaking to tackle the issue, were denied. He has also reported the registrations of drivers via the police portal but received no feedback.
He said: “I’m so angry nothing is being done. It’s actually affecting my mental health because it’s making me so angry. They are an absolute menace in the town.
“I have spent 20 hours on this so far because I won’t back down and I’m willing to fight. Most people don’t have the time and are scared about retaliation from the drivers.” The resident has spoken to traffic wardens who say they have received many complaints and Freedom Leisure, the company which runs Prince Regent Swimming Complex, recently installed new CCTV cameras, after receiving a high number of complaints.
Councillor Andrei Czolak, lead member for Community Safety, said: “We are aware this has become an issue and are looking at what can be done to prevent delivery drivers and moped users from treating this area as a cut through. “With so many families and residents using not only the swimming pool at Prince Regent, but also the nearby Jubilee Library, it just is not appropriate for people to be riding their vehicles in this pedestrianised area. “We will explore what can be done, but I would also encourage anyone who is hit by a moped or suffers a near miss to report it to Sussex Police.
” A Deliveroo spokeswoman said: “We take our responsibilities seriously to ensure the safety of riders and the safety of the communities where we operate. During the onboarding process, every rider is provided with road safety information which includes specific information on never riding on the pavement. “All our riders are required to meet minimum safety standards and, as with all road users, they must follow all local traffic laws and road regulations - and this is a condition of their service agreement.
If incidents are reported to us involving riders, we investigate and work with the authorities to take appropriate action where necessary.” A spokesman for Pizza Express said: “The safety of our communities and team members is of the utmost importance to us. We have reminded all our third-party delivery partners at our Brighton Jubilee Street pizzeria to collect from the rear of the restaurant, not ride on pedestrian areas and to follow all road signs and regulations to ensure our pizzas get to their final destination safely.
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