Food trucks prohibited from operating in northeast neighbourhood following an increase in complaints
Posted Jun 29, 2020 6:12 pm.
CALGARY (660NEWS) — The Lahori BBQ Hut and Indian Bistro food trucks were told by the City of Calgary that they can no longer operate in the area around 80th Avenue N.E. and Taradale Drive N.E. following several complaints.
Abdul Rafih, the city’s acting manager for compliance services, says they received over 50 complaints regarding the two trucks which prompted them to add the location to its list of prohibited areas to operate in.
“Over the past several weeks, our office has been receiving numerous complaints from residents in the community with respect to the safety and quality life concerns including noise, traffic congestion, jaywalking and littering,” Rafih said.
“We’ve been working very closely with the food truck operators and residents to mitigate those concerns, however, to date those efforts have been ineffective,” he added.
Owner of Lahori BBQ Hut Talat Ejaz was surprised he was told they weren’t allowed to operate in the area anymore after following all the suggestions. Ejaz also said he got the all-clear from bylaw officials, the City of Calgary and health inspectors after they visited the site in mid-June.
“It’s heartbreaking for me and for my customers,” Ejaz said.
“Small businesses should be supported by the government and the City of Calgary. They shouldn’t make a decision when there was no fault,” he said.
Ejaz claims they started getting more complaints after receiving a visit from UCP MLA Devinder Toor on May 30.
He says Toor was going around the neighbourhood trying to get residents to sign a petition to have their trucks removed.
“[He was going] seven kilometres away from where we parked our truck and asking people to sign the petition to remove the trucks,” Ejaz said.
“I’ve never had any complaints in the three years [of operating] and suddenly within a few weeks we had 43 complaints,” he added.
Ejaz has now moved his truck a few blocks down 80th Avenue by the Shoppers Drug Mart.
660 NEWS has reached out to Toor’s office for comment on the story.
