Shopkeepers start petition against parking restrictions

SHOPKEEPERS are starting a petition against cameras being used from today to enforce parking restrictions on one of the East end busiest thoroughfares. They are worried about the impact it will have on their businesses already hit by the recession. Owne

SHOPKEEPERS are starting a petition against cameras being used from today to enforce parking restrictions on one of the East end busiest thoroughfares.

They are worried about the impact it will have on their businesses already hit by the recession.

Owner of Newmans stationary on Bethnal Green Road, Hafiz Jafferji, is today starting the petition after Tower Hamlets council began putting notices on cars parked outside his shop informing them of CCTV being used to enforce the parking restrictions

Mr Jafferji said: "We have had no information from the council about this at all.

I only found out about it because Pellici's caf� next door told us about the notices being put on the cars. I have no idea if it will affect me when I unload deliveries. Usually the parking wardens give us 20 minutes if they see us unloading.

"But customers popping into one of the shops along here to buy something normally only gets about five minutes. Now they don't even have that. In the nearby streets you can't pay for less than an hour's parking which cost �3.50.

"One lady told me that if it's going to cost her �3.50 just to pop into our shop she'll think twice about coming again."

A parking fine in Tower Hamlets normally costs �60 if paid within 14 days before it goes up to �120.