Road to ruin

By Melissa Meehan
DANDENONG shopkeepers are demanding compensation from Vic Roads after a 70 per cent downturn in sales since regular access to their service road was closed.
But Vic Roads says compensation is not applicable because access to the service road has been maintained throughout the road works.
Bicycle Superstore’s Charles Cranford said businesses along the service road, off the Princes Highway, have noticed less business since access to their shops was changed.
He said the service road, located between East Link and Adelaide Street, was closed in July for road works to Heatherton Road.
Their customers now need to go to Adelaide Street and make a sharp U-turn into the narrow service road.
“Most people don’t think it’s a two way street because it is so narrow,” he said.
“So people give up and keep going.”
He said it was not only damaging his business, but that of car dealerships along the service road too.
“We were told it would be closed for three weeks,” he said.
“But that was in July – we are now in the middle of September, it’s beyond a joke.”
Simon Dale from MWD Motors said an important part of his business was walk-in traffic, but without easy access to the service road people were not coming in.
“If people can’t find us they will move on,” he said.
“Especially in this economic climate we need all the help we can get.”
He said shopkeepers had contacted Vic Roads who told them the works could continue for another three months.
“We could be out of business within eight weeks if business doesn’t pick up, let alone another three months,” Mr Dale said.
“We are not making a profit; we want compensation for the loss of turnover.”
Business owners said they had tried to let their regular customers know about the access changes through websites, SMS and emails – but it was difficult to capture new customers with the road the way it is.
Vic Roads regional director for Metropolitan South East, Duncan Elliott, said normal access to the service road was expected to re-open in the coming weeks, but was difficult to give an exact time as works were weather dependent.
“The western entrance was always planned to be closed for approximately six to eight weeks to allow for construction of the Link Road to continue and the new entrance to be constructed,” he said.
“The reopening of the service road has been a priority throughout the project.”
He said signage to alert would-be customers to the changed road conditions have been in place since before the closure, and an electronic variable message sign has been in place since 20 August after shopkeepers expressed their concerns.