The restaurant was delivering meals to staff who put in an order by phone or online that morning. The meals would be brought to the Radix car park around midday, with a queue forming around the van every day.
However the deliveries resulted in lots of litter and unwelcome smells in the buildings, says Annet de Haas, head of Location Facilities. In addition, the restaurant is in competition with the facilities on campus. ‘We have good catering facilities that offer Asian meals, just like Eastern Express,’ says De Haas. ‘With this system, you have no litter and a guarantee of food safety.’
A spokesperson from Eastern Express says they are disappointed at the ban.
However, Wageningen UR is able to prohibit the deliveries because they take place on its own grounds. De Haas emphasizes that the rules do not just apply to Eastern Express, they also affect ice-cream vans, pizza delivery services and other suppliers.