Some business owners who have their shops on Queens Road Panmure are facing a tough time due to parking issues.
Giving details about the same, Ketan Satpute, Owner, The Bottle-O,10 Queens Road, Panmure, told Indian Weekender, "We, shopkeepers, especially shop no 6 to 22, are facing parking issues in front of our shop on Queens Road, Panmure, which is getting worse nowadays. It is a P60 zone, and some people are parking longer than the time limit and go away for hours. And since there is no parking in front of our shops, we are not getting customers in our shop. We got two bakeries, one fish and chips takeaway, one liquor shop, and one barbershop, among others. Since we are a quick turnover business in this area, we are not making any money because of the parking issue.”
Another business owner Sylvia, who owns Sylvia Bakery, 12 Queens Road, Panmure, says, “It has been months that we are asking help from the authorities to help us solve this problem. It is disappointing that despite several attempts, no one is helping us. If this parking issue is not solved, we will be forced to shut our businesses as it is becoming impossible to survive.”
Satpute has already made several complaints to various authorities but still hasn’t got the problem fixed. Indian Weekender has copies of the same. He says, “Since last six months, I have tried complaining to many departments including Auckland Transport, Auckland Mayor, Member of Parliament, Transport Minister, the Parking designing team and our local businesses association among others but have got no success.”
So, what is the solution? “We want at least six car parks as P10 Or P15 and one loading zone for our small business owners. As a small business owner, we have already suffered a lot in terms of pandemic, thefts and burglaries, and now we can’t survive anymore,” says Satpute.
‘No changes justified.’
When Indian Weekender contacted Auckland Transport about the issue, AT spokesperson Blake Crayton-Brown said, “Auckland Transport has received requests from one retailer along Queens Road for 10-minute parking restrictions to be introduced outside their shop. Currently, there are already six P10 spaces within 40 metres of their shop, and as such, we advised the business owner that the existing mix of P10 and P60 parking was adequate, and no changes could be justified at this stage. We also informed the business that a parking study is planned for Panmure Town Centre next year, and we can reconsider this change as part of that process.”