A LOCAL MP has expressed his concern regarding the planned re-opening of the Mc Donald’s Drive Thru in Haverfordwest.
Stephen Crabb MP said that it is an issue which is certain to ‘divide public opinion’.
Posting on his Facebook page, the Preseli Pembrokeshire MP said: “I am a big fan of McDonald’s but I have some concerns which I have discussed with their regional management. Firstly, there is not a lot of room for cars there so I would be concerned if a congestion problem is created in the car park and at the junction with the Merlin’s Bridge roundabout. I also raised the issue of littering which is something I know they have worked hard to reduce in the past.
They have assured me they will be doing at least 3 daily litter picks around the site and picking up all litter – not just their own wrappers which have been chucked away.
I was pleased to hear they have a clear plan for protecting staff and will be sticking to all Welsh Government guidelines. I think they will need to keep things under review but, if they can re-open safely and with the support of staff and customers, I think that’s a positive thing.”
McDonald’s will reopen all of its 1,000 restaurants in the UK and Ireland for drive-through or delivery by 4 June, as it returns to trading after the coronavirus shutdown.
The fast food chain reopened 33 of its drive-throughs in south-east England last week.
McDonald’s said all remaining branches would reopen between Tuesday and Thursday next week. It will announce which Golden Arches branch is reopening only on the morning that service is resuming in order to manage demand.
The burger chain is trying to avoid a repeat of its experience in France and Switzerland, where advance notice of drive-through reopenings led to queues of up to seven hours in some locations.
The company said it was working with local authorities and police in the run-up to the reopenings in the UK and Ireland after almost two months’ closure.
McDonald’s, along with its competitors Burger King, KFC and Nando’s, have been trialling phased reopenings of their restaurants, with increased safety measures.
Staff at McDonald’s are protected from customers by perspex screens installed at the drive-through windows, and from their colleagues inside the restaurant’s kitchens. The company has introduced physical distancing inside the restaurants, including floor markings in each branch.
