New Diego H/Way extension — St Lucien businessmen lament slow sales

St Lucien Road — a secondary road — was used as an alternate route for motorists coming from various parts of Diego Martin including Blue Basin, Bagatelle and Diamond Vale. However, while traffic congestion was a headache for residents and motorists alike, businesses in the area, such as Gopaul’s Provision Depot, were thriving.

But after the opening of the $42 million highway extension on Wednesday, St Lucien Road was yesterday transformed into a virtual ghost town, as hundreds of motorists diverted to the new parallel route.

Residents on the street said they were pleasantly shocked to see no cars, but Anand Gopaul’s stall hung with bunches of unsold bananas.

Disclosing that the family fruit and provision business has been in operation on St Lucien Road for 40 years, Gopaul said, “Sales have been very slow since the highway opened yesterday. Usually people would stop on mornings when they’re going out and in the afternoon when they’re coming in to get fruit and bread. But I have lost more than half my customers.” He added, “Before, I used to have to put up fruit daily. All now (after 1 pm) I would be hanging up fruit for the afternoon sales. But these bananas you see, are from this morning.”

Gopaul, 50, said there are three children in the family and the business is their sole form of income. He added that the family was “still monitoring the situation.”

“I will see if I have to diversify or something,” he said. But the worried businessman is hoping his “good customer relations,” will save him in the end. Gopaul’s mother, Sylvia, sat behind large scales at the empty provision depot waiting for customers to come in.

“The extension of the highway is helping people from Diamond Vale and other places. Everybody wanted a highway and now they get one, they can’t blame the Government,” she said.

“Here used to have congestion but we didn’t mind. Now we have slow sales and nobody can help us now,” Sylvia added.

Not too far away, the normally busy Wong’s Supermarket had just a few customers.

One of the customers remarked, “This place has been here for 40 years, but half of the people who buy here have gone since they extended the highway.”

No one was seen at Pascal’s Bakery either which was usually a beehive of activity. The salesperson sitting on a chair inside told Newsday, “Sales are a little slow, but it’s too soon to say.”

Workers at the Express Paint Centre said a lot less cars were passing on St Lucien Road, but they were hoping their regular clientele would still patronise them. A woman inside Dalmart Ltd, which sells ice, threw an entirely positive light on the whole matter.

“With less traffic, it could well mean that customers now have easier access to the business,” she said.

while businesspeople were worried yesterday, residents of St Lucien Road were breathing easier. Joan McPherson-Jones said, “when I came out on St Lucien Road, I was shocked to see not a car in sight from the top to the bottom.” Others observed that motorists have been taking advantage of the clear road, to speed.

Meanwhile, businesspeople on the Diego Martin Main Road, from Starlite Shopping Plaza to the “big tree” further up the road, claimed they knew little or nothing about plans to widen the road in that area. At the opening of the highway extension on Wednesday, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said the widening of the road in the Starlite Shopping Plaza area, would involve land acquisition.

But George Aboud, chairman and owner of the mall, preferred to be optimistic. “I’m sure the minister is taking proper advice. And I’m sure he will discuss plans with us.”