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McDonald's should delay reopening of Aylesford drive thru due to traffic, says MP Tracey Crouch

19:12, 27 May 2020

updated: 15:46, 30 May 2020

McDonald's should push back the reopening of one of its drive thru restaurants as it will cause traffic chaos, a Kent MP has argued.

Chatham and Aylesford's Tracey Crouch is concerned about how congested the surrounding roads could become if the Aylesford drive thru begins serving customers again on June 4.

Huge queues at the drive thru in Strood when it reopened last week
Huge queues at the drive thru in Strood when it reopened last week

It comes after the popular chain reopened seven of its Kent outlets with a limited menu last week in Medway, Sittingbourne and Bobbing.

This led to chaotic scenes as hungry residents came out in their hundreds to get their fast food fix. Cars tailed back for about a mile on the Medway City Estate.

Police were called in Strood after traffic jams meant drivers were having to wait 45 minutes to cross Rochester Bridge.

Litter has also been strewn across the pavements, after people chuck empty burger wrappers and cups from their cars.

All remaining McDonald's in the UK are due to open as drive thrus or for delivery by Thursday, June 4.

In a Facebook post this evening, Ms Crouch said: "Well this is going to make me as popular as chewing gum on the bottom of your shoe....

Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tracey Crouch
Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford, Tracey Crouch

"Let me start with a disclaimer - I love McDonald's. I worked there as a teen and throughout Uni, various members of my family have or do work there, I eat (crave) the food and I recognise that they provide employment for a lot of local people.

"But this afternoon, following an email from their head office, I have asked McDonald's to reconsider their plans to reopen the Aylesford Drive-Thru.

"For those who are unaware, it is small McDonald's with a Drive-Thru that you have to double back in order to get into the lanes.

"It runs parallel to Hermitage Lane which is the main road to the Hospital, which still has a functioning A&E and just off the A20, an already busy main road.

"Given the significant queues we have seen elsewhere around the county when stores have reopened I do not think that this is the right store to be reopening at this time, and although I am very sorry for those who work there and for those of us who crave a sausage an egg mcmuffin (me), I think it will cause chaos and potentially cost lives.

Tracey Crouch is calling for the drive thru in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford to not reopen for now. Picture: Google street view
Tracey Crouch is calling for the drive thru in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford to not reopen for now. Picture: Google street view

"I await their response."

A McDonald's spokesman said: "We are taking road traffic management on the roads around our restaurants seriously as we begin to reopen our Drive Thru estate.

"We have worked proactively with Kent Police to discuss our plans for all of the restaurants that are reopening across the county, including Aylesford.

"We are doing what we can to manage demand, and once open we will continue to monitor the situation in partnership with Kent Police."

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