PHOTO: McDonald’s. FILE
Frustrated by customers struggling to find parking, McDonald’s has implemented parking limits at its Timaru restaurant.
The fast-food outlet, located on State Highway 1/Evans St next to Ashbury Park, a sports ground owned by the Timaru District Council, often sees heavy traffic during weekends due to nearby sporting events. The restaurant is also close to KFC and Briscoes, adding to the congestion.
The new parking restrictions caught some customers by surprise, with some receiving fines in the mail for exceeding the 90-minute parking limit at the restaurant.
John Musgrave, the licensee of Timaru McDonald’s, emphasized that the company does not want to upset its customers. He assured that fines would be waived for those who could prove they were at the restaurant during the time in question.
Musgrave mentioned that several customers had already had their fines dismissed. The parking limit, which has been in place for about three months, was introduced to address the issue of customers being unable to find parking spaces.
“We were getting a lot of complaints from customers who couldn’t park in our designated spots,” Musgrave explained.
Over the weekend, some motorists took to social media to express their frustration after receiving fines from Smart Compliance Management, the company responsible for managing the car park. The fines included photos of the vehicles, along with timestamps showing when they entered and exited the car park. The fine notice indicated that the vehicle had been parked in violation of the restaurant’s policies.
Those fined were given 21 days to pay the $85 fine, with a potential $20 administration fee for late payment.
Photo: AIMAN AMERUL MUNER / The Timaru Herald
Musgrave clarified that the parking limits are only intended for non-customers using the car park. “We don’t want to inconvenience our customers,” he said. “As long as they can show they were at McDonald’s during the time of the fine, they can contact us to have it canceled. It’s no big deal; we take care of our customers.”
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He also pointed out that there are 10 signs in the car park, as well as additional signage inside the store, clearly indicating the parking limit. The signs inform motorists that the car park is private property, reserved for McDonald’s customers only, and prominently display the 90-minute time limit.
Since the introduction of the parking limit, Musgrave noted a decrease in the number of non-customers using the car park.
SOURCE: RNZ