Dumped trolleys are an eyesore

Gurpreet Bhatia, Barking, full address supplied, writes:

I’ve noticed again with quite a regularity that shopping trolleys are being dumped all over Barking town centre and its neighbouring high density neighbourhoods.

It’s quite clear the £1 returnable deposit system that retailers universally adopted is now not fool proof with many strewn trolleys having had these mechanisms broken or something of no value lodged up the coin slot to access their use.

Many small independent town centre retailers and some market sole traders can be seen permanently utilising trolleys for their own business purposes and then leaving them abandoned when of no longer use.

Barking and Dagenham Post: Thames21 volunteers removing a shopping trolley from the banks of the river ThamesThames21 volunteers removing a shopping trolley from the banks of the river Thames (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

It’s also become noticeable that some customers think it is acceptable to trolley their groceries home and either leave the empty trolley in their front garden as if it was their personal property or dump it in an adjoining street.

Trolleys left abandoned on public footpaths are an eyesore and also a danger to the blind and the partially sighted. Furthermore, the danger of them rolling into the road and damaging parked cars or into the path of moving vehicles or cyclists is high.

Retailers who provide shopping trolleys for customers use should be doing more to prevent their misuse and removal from their premises. I recall in the ’80s when simple vertical metal bars welded into trolleys prevented them leaving the retailers premises to great effect. More onus needs to be put on retailers to secure their property rather than allow them to litter the streets.