RESIDENTS say their once thriving street has been turned into a ghost town thanks to the council slapping motorists with hefty fines.
Businesses in Newham, East London, say they have been penalised for the local authority doling out more than ￡1million in penalty notices.
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Residents in Newham said Browning Road has now become a ghost town Credit: MyLondon/BPM 5
Locals blame the council's barmy traffic scheme for scaring people away Credit: MyLondon/BPM 5
Jaymin Rana said his customers are going elsewhere to avoid the risk of being fined Credit: MyLondon/BPM
Customers who used to flock to Browning Road are now avoiding the area at all costs through fear of being fined, locals claim.
They say the strict traffic scheme forbidding non-residents from entering the closure without a valid permit has wreaked havoc on their profits.
It was trialled in 2019 after residents complained drivers were using nearby residential roads as rat runs, before being made permanent.
Motorists who don't have a permit can be hit with a penalty charge for crossing the Browning Road Bridge.
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It was revealed that Newham Council raked in a whopping ￡1,018,878 last year after doling out 22,150 penalties to drivers who failed to abide by the traffic restrictions, following a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Figures show the same street, which is known as the Browning Road Bridge scheme, generated ￡2,444,508 for the council in 2021.
But although the council has been quids in thanks to the traffic scheme, locals say the formerly bustling area is now deserted.
Ali Kara, who runs Browning Off Licence, said he is "losing customers" due to the barmy rules as they can't access his shop in their cars.
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He told MyLondon: "I used to be busy but now I'm not.
"We used to have customers coming in from the other side such as Beckton who were using this road but now nobody is coming and it's quiet."
Jaymin Rana, from Springbok Newsagents, echoed his complaints and slammed shoddy council signage for confusing potential customers.
He fumed: "I've lost a lot of customers. When they want to come and buy a newspaper and a packet of cigarettes they can't go over the bridge and they're not going to park over there and walk over the bridge. My regular customers now go to shops on Church Road.
"I've lost money, it's not good what [the council has] done here.
"I'm always out there telling people and making sure they go back, the signs are very bad if you're not from the area."
He claimed he has even had to switch his suppliers as firms don't want to journey across the bridge as it "wastes" so much time.
Asadul Haque explained that some of his regulars have been fined up to five times while braving the journey to his shop.
The owner of E12 Tyres and Services and the Auto MOT Centre said the only thing keeping him afloat is customer loyalty.
Asadul moaned: "When they introduced it, it affected me but eventually customers came back because I've been here for about 20 years now.
"They say it's to do with the traffic, but it's got nothing to do with the traffic, it's a money-making scheme making it worse.
"It confuses people. [The council] has made it so inconvenient. It's not clear enough. I know a few customers who have had four or five tickets.
"It's affected my business very, very badly, I think the council is only interested in how it can rip people off."
But some residents have praised the scheme and say it has made the area less congested while minimising the risks of road accidents.
One local, Imran, said Browning Road "used to be manic" - and claimed he has even had to stand in the road and direct traffic on some occasions.
He continued: "It was that bad. There used to be two buses there and two buses there - it was a stand-off, there used to be confrontations all the time so I used to [go out] and calm the situation."
However, he admitted fining people was "harsh" on local business owners and drivers who are unaware of the traffic scheme.
Imran added: "I think it's a good scheme what they've done, but what I don't like is when a trader [gets fined for the first time].
"The council is not lenient, it's very harsh, the council should give a warning saying, 'you've gone over the bridge and next time you're going to get fined', but the council don't do that and is just giving everyone tickets - they've made a hell of a fortune."
A spokesperson for Newham council told the LDRS: "The Browning Road Bridge area scheme was put in place in August 2019 following complaints from residents about the high numbers of cars travelling through the area in particular residential roads.
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"During this time the council has monitored air quality and traffic flow, as well as collected feedback from residents, and traffic orders in the area have now been made permanent after the data showed a significant improvement in air quality.
"We understand that residents and local businesses still have concerns about the scheme, and we want to reassure you that we are still listening to residents views on how to improve this for all."
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Business owners say potential customers are confused by the council's signage Credit: MyLondon/BPM 5
Asadul Haque says some of his regulars have received up to five fines Credit: MyLondon/BPM