Car parks dint Christmas trade

LALOR retailers are blaming reduced car parking for lacklustre Christmas trade.

Car parks have been closed in the area since early December due to the construction on the South Morang railway extension, with local workers forced to park streets away.

Lalor Traders Association general manager Ray Jacobs said the closure had come as a surprise and had been a problem before Christmas.

“They closed off the car parks, which came as a big surprise to us and to council, and we were quite upset about the poor timing, as they shut off the car park and two days later went on holidays,” Mr Jacobs said. “A lot of people couldn’t find a car park – we think there are about 70 or 80 less parks.”

Owner of Patons Place Jewellers Ray Travaglini said the reduced car parking could be behind the slow Christmas period. “There’s a lack of car parking, and if customers can’t find a car park here they’ll move on somewhere else.”

Deputy alliance general manager of the South Morang rail extension project Matt Walsh said the project necessitated closing car parks in Station Street temporarily.

“These works are critical in nature and needed to commence in December 2010 for completion in late February 2011.’’

Mr Walsh said more parking at Lalor Station was expected to open in January 2011.