The implementation of ‘Temporary’ Bus Gates in Oxford will in effect cause us to hand back the keys to our landlords at Honey’s of the High (49 High Street).
We find it disheartening and selfish from the Council that without giving it a thought from a small business perspective, you are quick to impose such damaging and catastrophic measures which will result to Hiten and I having to shut shop! Our business starts incredibly early and we are there to late hours like many of our neighbours. Honey’s Newsagents may as well close if we are not able to carry out our deliveries of papers to Colleges, the Council and the many Hotel’s across the city centre. We deliver our newspapers by car as we cover a 15-mile round trip. With the bus gates we would most certainly not be able to carry out our job which is our bread and butter to put it simple terms. Does the council not want us to get the 4 hours’ sleep that we get now?!
Our deliveries from cash and carry and when we pop to Bookers during the week will also be impossible. We have a delivery from Northampton weekly and the truck will not be able to come to the shop. How does the council think we will be able to restock?!
We are in one of the greatest cities and all the Council is doing is stopping people coming into this beautiful city. The Westgate is a living example as to how the Covered market and all other businesses suffered. Now when we see the Westgate, we are seeing more and more empty units.
Imposing the unnecessary bus gates will in fact mean there will be more empty units and businesses that once thrived be forced to close. We are already looking at a huge loss over the next three-four years due to Covid as no one will be able to come out of this financial crisis in the near future. Instead of working with us the Council always works against us. The ripple effect will be felt for years to come!
In quite simple terms, we will be forced to close. I have said this before and I say the same to you, when sitting in a position where you don’t see the effects of such measures on the common person, you will never understand the actual point!
I hope you and your colleagues at the Council think hard before rolling out the bus gates. You say ‘temporary’, but we both know it is here to stay! This implementation will have no effect on yourselves as you have a pay packet to take home each month, we on the other hand do not.