North Hobart restaurant owner says food delivery drivers are taking up dine-in customers’ parks
Frustration is simmering along North Hobart’s Elizabeth St restaurant strip, with traders calling for a fix to a continuing problem of food delivery drivers taking the parks of dine-in customers.
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A NORTH Hobart restaurant owner is fed up with ongoing parking woes in the popular Elizabeth St strip, expressing frustration customers are being driven away because food delivery drivers are clogging the area and leaving sit-down diners no spaces to park.
The emergence of services like Uber Eats has created new opportunities for restaurants to reach customers, but it has also created headaches.
Fabio Di Tommaso, the owner of Elizabeth St eateries Pancho Villa, Capital, The Burger Haus and Veg Bar, said the parking problem was driving customers away.
“We’re really struggling and it’s not just us, it’s the whole street,’’ he said.
“Uber is good, don’t get me wrong ... but we need to police where they are parking.
“People can’t quickly stop to pick up a pizza. They’ve got to drive around 100 times because the whole street is lined with Uber drivers and they can’t get their food.
“People are just going to stop coming here.”
Earlier this year, the Hobart City Council authorised the installation of new designated food delivery parking spaces in the Condell Place and Lefroy St carparks.
But Mr Di Tommaso said this had not fixed the problem, and increased compliance checks by parking inspectors had only resulted in more sit-down customers being fined.
Mr Di Tommaso said he did not blame the drivers themselves but said there was a severe shortage of parking spaces in general.
He said dine-in customers were having to go and move their vehicles during their meal to avoid being hit with a fine, while Uber Eats drivers avoided penalty.
Hobart City Council Alderman Simon Behrakis said the problem was obvious — there was simply not enough parks.
Ald Behrakis suggested delivery drivers were not using designated spots in Condell Place because jobs were assigned by proximity to a restaurant, meaning they risked missing out.
An Uber Eats spokesman said drivers sign up to community guidelines, which include following speed and traffic road rules, and contravention of these could see them lose access to the app.
“We are constantly working with local councils on the ways ride-share services can best service the communities we operate in,’’ he said.
“All drivers are allowed to park within the law, including the food delivery drivers used by a large number of North Hobart traders to meet their customers’ needs,’' he said.
“Regulation of parking and the operation of social food delivery services are matters for the State Government.”
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said he believed enforcement of vehicles staying for long periods within the same zone would resolve the matter “in favour of frustrated restaurateurs”.
“More parking capacity would help everyone. I am aware that Council has been considering advice to build an off-street car park on its property in North Hobart. This would provide much better public enjoyment of this exciting eating strip,’’ he said.
“Additionally, I have raised this issue with Uber as manager of one group of drivers, and have asked them to work on ways to improve practices. I’ve also indicated that if their drivers don’t do the right thing, then the Government would consider taking further action.
“However, even if car identification was required, problems will continue without more rigorous compliance action and expansion of parking by HCC.”
Originally published as North Hobart restaurant owner says food delivery drivers are taking up dine-in customers’ parks