How much longer?
It’s the question one furniture store and a few other businesses in Haggatt Hall, St Michael, want answered, now that what was supposed to be a two to three-week pipe-laying job is in its seventh week and counting.
Standard Distribution and Sales (Barbados) Ltd said its sales there were down by about 50 per cent since construction started on the laying of pipes adjacent to the ABC highway, just across from the complex where it is housed.
Chief executive officer Katrina Newton told the SUNDAY SUN that while they understood the work was necessary, it was the delays in completion that were now hampering business.
She said they were given notice at the end of June about the pipe-laying works but were told it would be completed in about three weeks, something that initially did not cause much concern.
“However, we are now in week seven and the work is not completed. The construction company, C.O. Williams, [is] waiting for the [Barbados] Water Authority (BWA) to come and test the pipes that they have laid and until someone from the Water Authority comes to test those pipes, they cannot actually close the trench, therefore they cannot reinstate the access via the road from the highway.
“Our challenge is that obviously most customers turn into our store via that access road directly off the highway. There is a sign there that says ‘Road Closed’, so customers are presuming that obviously our store is not open, so foot traffic to the location is severely affected. There are some days when we have not even processed five sales. . . .
“I have been trying for the last three days to reach the projects manager at the BWA and have not been able to get through to him to see if he can give me a timeframe for when the inspection is expected to take place,” said Newton.
The CEO added that she had been in contact with the contractors, who could not specific date for the inspection.
This was supported by communications consultant for C.O. Williams Construction, Mike Williams, who told the SUNDAY SUN that his indications were the inspection should happen “soon”.
He said: “The BWA has to test the line before the trench can be covered and we are hoping this can happen soon and by early next week it should be covered. They should get around to [the inspection] over the next few days.”
Standard said it was concerned about loss of business.
“Obviously if this continues it has serious implications for business at our store because we are paying rent, we still have to keep the store open, we are paying staff . . . .
“We are not a high traffic store because we are in furniture, but I would say in general we would do about double the number of transactions. . . .
“it is not just about the sales because obviously people want to come and make their finance payments,” Newton offered.
The nearby open-air car wash business said it too had initial concerns with the dust, which was expected and had settled to some degree, but what the operators did not expect was the fall off in customers.
“There are some customers we have not seen in a while now. Usually people would go across to the [SkyMall] and then pop over here for a quick wash. That is not happening now. I think a lot of people see what is happening and avoid the area,” said a supervisor at that business.
Inside the mall, another employee said her only discomfort was as a pedestrian having to traverse the area.
“Now, I have to walk the long way around. I hope it ends soon, but we aren’t hearing anything. All the roads out there were closed,” said the woman at a local delivery business, pointing northward.
The events company, Pangroove Elegant Events said given the nature of what they do, they had not had any disruption to business, while other businesses in the building were not largely of a heavy traffic nature.
The project, is part of a larger collaborative effort between the BWA and Ionics Pipelines Inc. to improve the water supply to the southern parishes.
Managed by the BWA’s Capital Works Unit, it encompasses a number of elements in various central and southern parts of island, as well as four construction companies.
When reached, the BWA’s marketing and communications manager Joy-Ann Haigh gave the assurance that the issues of the businesses impacted would be discussed amongst all parties involved in the project.
She said too that project manager Charles Leslie would be briefed on the concerns and would respond in a timely fashion, both publicly and to the businesses in the area. (Green Bananas Media )
