Shops protest parking restrictions
From the Evening Times
Tough parking rules on one of Glasgow’s busiest roads are killing business and driving customers away, traders warned today. The struggling shopkeepers in Pollokshaws Road, Strathbungo, want the 10-minute parking limits scrapped before they are forced to close.
Further along the same road in Shawlands, the 10-minute parking rules were scrapped at the end of last year and business boomed for traders with one reporting a 10 per cent rise in profits. But now shop owners opposite Queen’s Park say they’re losing out and are calling for the relaxed rules to be extended to their area.
Nicola Nolan, who runs a hairdressing salon, said: “If customers park for more than 10 minutes they get a ticket. But I provide a service lasting longer than that. We can’t have ladies with wet hair running out to the meters every 10 minutes. If the restrictions were lifted it would bring business back.”
Ian Cleaver, of Tackle and Guns, said the strict parking zone was also hitting his business. He said: “The firearms paperwork takes much longer than 10 minutes to complete.”
Owner Bruce MacMartin added: “The shop empties when traffic wardens are about and customers who get tickets don’t come back.” He added: “We have lost 40 per cent of our customers-something has to be done.”
His brother Craig, who has run a neighbouring bike shop for 30 years, said: “Saturday is a busy sales day and that’s when customers need more than 10 minutes as they’re limited to how long they stay in the shop. The restrictions have been there as long as I have-I got a parking ticket on the first day I opened-but I can’t understand why they’re here in the first place.”
Charles Hays, of Record Exchange, said: “It’s got so bad we’re thinking about closing the door.”
Shawlands Councillor Steven Curran said: “They’re suffering down there as customers would rather park further up for as long as they like. Hopefully we will get some movement on it soon.
In 2002, 50 traders in Pollokshaws Road and Minard Road near Shawlands Cross wrote to Glasgow City Council after a five-year campaign to have changes implemented. Since restrictions were relaxed in December 2004, motorists are allowed to park with no strict time limits and Howard Butchers saw profits grow by 10 per cent in the run-up to Christmas, compared to the previous year.
A council spokeswoman said: “A review of traffic regulations on the remainder of Pollokshaws Road will be carried out in 2005 as part of the Quality Bus Corridor Programme.
“To date, the replacement of the existing 10-minute waiting and loading restriction has not been raised as an issue. However, if it is identified as desirable during the review process, revised restrictions could be considered when a new traffic regulation order is promoted for Pollokshaws Road.”
She said that the consultation process for such an order would commence in mid-2005, with implementation of a new order in spring 2006.