Traders fear bus move will kill street
Tuesday 27th April 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Furious shopkeepers are threatening to blockade Wolverhampton in a desperate bid to prevent the building of the city’s new bus station devastating their businesses.
Traders warned they were prepared to close Queen Street, bringing chaos to the city centre, unless their plight is taken seriously by transport chiefs.
The closure of the bus station on April 3 has meant passengers no longer walk up and down the street.
Manirul Haque, 33-year-old owner of Habib restaurant, said:”Takings are as much as 60 per cent down since the bus station closed. We will have to shut for good within eight weeks if things do not improve.”
Karl Chan, also 33, manager of Queens Cantonese restaurant, said: “There used to be 30 or 40 cars along here left by customers of the restaurants.
“Now parking is banned. This is going to kill Queen Street.”
Peter Southall, aged 47, of travel agency Sunshine Direct, claims to be losing £1,000-a-week profit.
Queen Street Action Group was formed last night after more than 30 traders met.
They agreed to give the council and regional transport authority Centro seven days to meet them or they will consider blockading Queen Street.
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i deeply understand how `they will suffer buses are a lifeline to our businesses,all the passing trade brings money in the till,
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its a sad day when traders have to threaten a blockade to be listened to. its about time planners took notice of what effect their plans have on the people who live and work in Wolverhampton. the way its going we’ll end up with lovely new bus station but no shops or people in town to use it
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I understand but not sure what they expect the councillors to do about it. The bus station needed to be closed for re-devlopment and it been knocked down today so it’s too late.
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What about all the additional bus stops in Queen Street, surely that is having a positive impact on the street?
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Does the bus station really need this re-development costing £20m?
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Yes.
1. The old station was cramped, dark, dirty and unsafe.
2. Without regular improvements towns will be left to rot and people will be put off from visiting. As a transport interchange this is the first place people see when they visit. A bad first impression may mean they decide never to come again. How will that help local businesses.
3. Were in a recession and these government schemes are an important injection of cash to construction companies securing jobs for there employees, suppliers and sub contractors.
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While I appreciate what you are trying to say, can I respond by saying;
1. What caused the old bus station to be ‘dirty and unsafe’? answer; Those who used it! And they will do exactly the same to the new one. As for it being ‘dark’, well everytime I have been there at night I found it adequately lit.
2. I agree that ‘towns need improving’. But take a look at West Brom’s bus station… a most adequate improvement carried out there at a fraction of the cost we are talking about here. As for improvements in Wolverhampton; I remember that there were public toilets in at least 3 locations across the town about 20 years ago. Considering that Wolverhampton is now a city, how many are there now? Would you say that getting rid of these very basic facilities are ‘improvements’ or is it more important to spend thousands on water features of a different kind?
3. Now you are getting nearer to the truth. So this scheme is merely to fund cash strapped construction firms? They are not the only ones affected by the recession!
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Quite right, Bonham. A large number of the buses have decamped to stops in Queen Street, as can clearly be seen in the photograph accompanying the report, making it potentially quite busy. Queen Street is also the temporary stopping place for National Express coaches and the temporary home of the bus enquiry office and ticket shop.
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I really don’t think a hand full of stops makes up for the quite real loss of nearly every possible bus that ever stopped at the old bus station!
I doubt the traders would be moaning unless they saw a very real threat, I suppose its easy to assume they are but remember, these small local businesses have already been through recession, long running snow fall and bad weather so I don’t see them lasting very long if they have been hit as hard as they say they have by yet another problem.
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I’d have to agree with “Bonham” and “Bus Spotter”.
I frequent the new “bus terminus” in Queen street 3 days pew week and i have to say its always very busy. Partly because of the P-Poor planning that has gone into it and partly because of the great number of non-driving National Express West Midlands staff in luminous jackets attempting to look busy by loitering around the street with clipboards.
Oh! and there are a great number of passengers too, of course!
I’d have thought if nothing more it would have increased the trade bringing the stops as clos to if not on-top of the shops. However i guess it all depends on how busy and frequenlty used the buses that are running from those stops actually are.
My complaing is how this re-shufflling of the bus services has lead to the increase in drivers randomly stopping whereever they see fir for a quick (and usually re-curring) 5 min break.
I usually get annoyed with this when then stop randomly to read the paper for no reason. Do they not realise the people that got onto the bus got on at the time to be somewhere for a certain time?
and now, its even worse what with the drivers crudly stopping either longer periods at the temp bus stops or stopping for longer at the one before (as they know they’ll have to reload passangers at their last one). Merrily adding to the frustration and conjesion of the city centre!!!
Who is ie we have to blame for all this again?
The shop keepers of Queen street have every right to complain and barricade! They were not consulted or thought about in all of this. And may i say…I love Habib. Great tasty food at a great price!!!
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Ok they have got a point but surely they should have kicked off and done something before the work started the bus station (which was a right mess) has been shut for 4 weeks.
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i would like to ask ‘Bonham and Bus Spotter’if they have looked at the picture because i have and i can not see any people in the picture and us ‘traders ‘depend on ”passing trade” and if Bonham and Bus Spotter wold like to come and spend some time in one of the shops and see how bussy we are?????
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There are two different complaints going on here. One is that the bus station closure has led to a reduction in people walking up and down Queen Street. The other is that people can’t park on Queen Street any more. It occurs to me that the traders need to get their stories straight.
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I too agree with Bonham & Bus Spotter, trade should increase in Queen Street with people noticing shops they otherwise might not have. If the restaurants serve good food at the right price people will find a way round the parking situation. Like take a bus which terminates and starts in Queen Street.
The new Spar in Lichfield Street opposite the Theatre is more likely to suffer.
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HOW does less buses = more trade? My bus doesn’t stop on Queen Street so your saying that I walk the extra distance or catch a second bus. Besides, the last time I did walk to habibs I was shocked at the bus stop right outside and the people who were lingering there. I doubt this has helped his business at all as I even found it very off putting.
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