Following last week's tragic accident where a man and his 8-year-old son were hit by a pickup in a parking lot where a food truck was operating, many customers say they still feel safe thanks to city regulations in place.
The city municipal code has numerous requirements and restrictions regarding food trucks and vending vehicles. Food trucks may park on the street in the public right-of-way and serve customers on a nearby sidewalk. Once their permit is approved, the permit is good for one fiscal year and they can operate it in any location in the city.
Mike Roberts is the owner of Mike's Smoke and Grill food truck. He just started selling food at "Pueblo Magico" which is located at the corner of Rosedale Highway and Calloway Drive. Roberts said he feels safe at that location even though it's a busy intersection.
"Plenty of fencing, and we have telephone poles and light poles that are cemented into the ground, you know, all the way around us. So I feel very safe here," Roberts said.
Francisco Garcia said he's never had any concerns regarding his safety while getting food at food trucks.
"No, no concerns. It's it's typical to the area. It's something that everybody's used to. Never crosses my mind about having any safety concerns or issues," Garcia said.
Garcia said one of the reasons why is because he knows that there are regulations.
"That's one of the reasons why I feel safe coming to these locations because I know that there's regulations for somebody to be out with a food truck. So it definitely helps," Garcia said.
Some of the applicable municode sections:
- 5.66.050 f. [bakersfield.municipal.codes]: No obstruction or interference with the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, including but not limited to access to or from any business, public building, or dwelling unit;
- 5.66.050 g. [bakersfield.municipal.codes]: No restriction of visibility area sight distance at any driveway or intersection;
- 5.66.050 m. [bakersfield.municipal.codes]: Food vending vehicles must park at least seventy-five feet away from a primary frontage for patrons of a restaurant and at least two hundred feet away from the following zone districts: R-1 (one-family dwelling), R-2 (limited multiple-family dwelling), R-3 (multiple-family dwelling), R-S (residential suburban) and PUD (planned unit development), unless operating in accordance with state law and with Section 5.66.070(I) [bakersfield.municipal.codes] or pursuant to a conditional use permit;
- 5.66.060 [bakersfield.municipal.codes]: Food vending vehicle requirements in the public right-of-way.
- A.: Follow current city and California Vehicle Code [bakersfield.municipal.codes] parking requirements;
- B.: Park parallel to the curb before serving any customers;
- F.: Not operate in the public right-of-way within five hundred feet from any school, between seven a.m. and four p.m. on regular school days, unless operating in accordance with Section 5.66.070 [bakersfield.municipal.codes];
- H.: Not encroach onto a public sidewalk with any part of the vehicle or any other equipment or furniture related to the operation of the business, except for the required trash and recycling receptacles or any attached sign or awning. The business owner shall provide at least an eight-foot vertical clearance for pedestrian access under the sign or awning. (Ord. 4862 § 1, 2016)
- 5.66.070 [bakersfield.municipal.codes]: Food vending vehicle requirements on private property
- C.: Operate within a paved, level parking area, where it can be demonstrated that any off-street parking spaces located in that area are not otherwise reserved, encumbered, or designated to satisfy the off-street parking requirement of a business or activity that is operating at the same time as the food vending vehicle
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