Business owners and managers in Ryde High Street are being asked to help keep the pedestrian zone safe by sticking to the rules when it comes to deliveries.
Since the pedestrian zone was created in the High Street, vehicle deliveries have been restricted to between 06:00 and 10:00. This can cause issues for businesses, especially if the ferries are delayed or delivery drivers can’t physically make it to Ryde before 10:00 due to other commitments. Graces Bakery is allowed access to Mill Lane, however, owing to a previous long-held access agreement.
For 35 years the High Street (between Garfield Road and Star Street) was open for deliveries/access throughout the day, and open to all traffic after 18:00 and on Sundays – something that worked well with almost no pedestrian-related incidents. Despite objections from Ryde residents and businesses alike, the change was forced through in July 2020.
Ryde Council Town Clerk, Tina Dyer, is growing increasingly concerned for the safety of people using the High Street after 10:00 as vehicles have been flouting the new regulations.
“We have seen many vehicles continuing to enter the pedestrian zone after 10am and we are acutely concerned for the safety of the public.
“A leaflet is being sent to all businesses in the High Street reminding them of the times when deliveries can be made”.
The pedestrian zone was created as part of the Ryde Heritage Action Zone and the aim is to create a space where people feel happy and safe to gather. The aim is to make the High Street a hub of activity and to increase dwell time, bringing more people to businesses located there and to use the space for events and al fresco dining.
Business owners and managers in the High Street are being asked to remind suppliers they need to make deliveries before 10:00 and book ferry times to be able to meet that deadline.
Lisa added:
“If deliveries are made after 10am, the loading bays in Garfield Road and John Street should be used and items moved by trolley to business premises.
“Penalties will be enforced with drivers who contravene the regulations.”
35 years of virtually no incidents at all, ever. Those that pay the town council wages, the taxpaying business owners, said no to new rules, the residents said no to new rules, however, the jobsworths at the town council ignored them.
now they realise their unworkable rules are being ignored. Instead of making things harder for the already struggling high street, reverse this stupid decision and stop being a bunch of controlling, woke, health and safety nannies or get other jobs, before you are removed.
fed up with the likes of Tina Dyer, whining on about safety in an area that has had virtually no safety related incidents in 35 years.
Well said, if those delivery drivers proceed with caution what exactly is the issue here ? Nothing it seems……council, local or county do something useful with your time please.
And whilst you are at it Lisa, how about something very positive to stop cyclists?
And the dog’s mess. Saw the biggest pile I’ve ever seen in the New Town Square recently. Well I assume it was dog.
Delivery drivers have a difficult enough time keeping to schedules as it is, there was yet another accident this morning (I know it was Staplers, but…).
with the best will in the world it is not possible to always keep to arbitrarily decided times. The only other answer is -“sorry mate, can’t get to your premises, no delivery today”.
who is inconvenienced? Not the Councillors making these random decisions, or the Woke tree huggers who live in a land of pink fluffy clouds and Unicorns. NO, the shopping public and the shop owners!
Talking of safety, I’ve never understood how they got away with using paving stones that are “slippery when wet” all around the NatWest corner. They know they are dangerous as they have put up warning signs. How is that even allowed?
I can think of two car parks, one either side of the High Street, that delivery vans could use (ok, not huge articulated lorries but transit sized vans which I assume most couriers use). Isn’t there also a dedicated loading lay-by just before the pedestrian area and another area in John Street reserved for loading/delivering? All the shop delivery drivers I’ve seen have wheeled trollies etc so I can’t see a reason why they’d need to park right outside any particular shop.
Having said that, it wasn’t a delivery driver this morning but a car driver using the pedestrian area as a short cut around midday.
Far too many cars drive up that street.
Never understood why the town Council have never created a Goods Inward Area and employ a couple of people to truck the goods to the appropiate shops
IW Council should concentrate on banning people parking on pavements.
Drive along Great Preston Road, it’s becoming very dangerous.
Double Yellow Lines need to be placed down Great Preston Road on 1 side of the Road from
One end of the Road to the other end (Like Arqyll Street in Ryde)
Also vehicles speed along this Road.
Why don’t the Police set up their speed camera van along this Road.
They would make loads of money.
Let’s make the Island Road safe for everyone
Just ridiculous. Such an ill thought out idea which has never worked. As for Ryde High Street being a happy and safe place to gather, populated with restaurants and cafes with outside seating, the useless town council would be far better off concentrating on removing the numerous alcoholics and smack heads that plague that street from the area first.
Here’s an idea let’s get the high streets back to how they used to be as pedestrianisation has totally destroyed high streets , yes they look pretty but have consistently been proven to kill the high street every where they’ve been introduced.