Market Street businesses suffer

GEORGE NEWS - While trying to keep head above water during the pandemic, businesses in Market Street also have to contend with the repercussions of major road works that are expected to last for months.

Panicked shop owners are asking why the project was not done in phases so as to limit the impact to one block of shops at a time, reducing the time of the negative effect while also retaining more parking spaces and easier access to shops during construction.

During construction, parking space is significantly reduced along the northern side of the street from the Merriman Street intersection right up to York Street, and several businesses do not have a single parking bay nearby.

With only one lane open, the street has become a one-way and Go George buses stopping at bus stops block passage, so motorists have started avoiding the street.

Big drop in business

"People's livelihoods are at stake," says Alan Price, owner of OBC Butchery. He still has feet in his store, but customers who travel by car, are staying away in numbers. His turnover dropped by 26% in the past month.

Price is trying to obtain permission from the George Municipality to temporarily close a nearby side street for safe parking.

"My vehicle was broken into on two occasions when I parked there. If we can close it, I will provide security guards and can then advise my clients to park there. I am not against the roadworks, but the fact that it is being done as a whole."

After George Herald's inquiries to the municipality, his complaints about fibre optic trenches near his shop entrance that had been left unfinished were addressed and he was grateful to the municipality and contractor for responding. Before re-instatement of the paving, two of his customers fell because of the uneven surface.

Bennie Steenekamp, owner of Motorcycle Madness, says his yard was always filled with motorcycles, but now "it's a nightmare". "Our turnover is down by 50%." The three bus stops near the entrance to his premises are compounding the impact of the roadworks. "We have also taken a knock in income from our bar, which has to close at 21:00 because of the curfew."

Louise van Lelyveld of King's Tasty Foods opposite Shoprite said they are behind in their rent. "We opened two weeks before the roadworks began and it was really fireworks. We were amazed, but as soon as the construction started, business quietened down."

Bennie Steenekamp ofn Motorcycle Madness says his turnover is down by 50% although he has private parking available for his customers.

Grant funding causes overlaps

Responding to the complaints, Acting Director of Civil Engineering Lionel Daniels says the project had been awarded one section at a time, but grant funding conditions require that the funds be spent within one financial year. This affected appointments and caused overlapping of some sections.

The most critical sections that require remediation are currently being addressed with the grant funding, with no cost to the rate payer.

Daniels says the municipality has a legal mandate and obligation to maintain its infrastructure. This requires inconvenient upgrades, but it will eventually provide an improved service. "Market Street had become the most severely degraded street in the CBD and urgent remedial work was required."

He says his department is unaware of the request to close a side street for parking and will be looking into the feasibility. Furthermore, during the land use application for the butchery, parking reduction had been motivated as this type of business would attract mostly pedestrians.