Dear Editor,
It is the growing frustration at the insensitiveness to business by the closing of roads by our authorities which prompts this letter. Having invested billions and employing directly over a thousand persons in the Giftland Mall plus dependents, it is shameful that this investment comes to a grinding halt when there is any visit to the Arthur Chung Convention Centre by dignitaries and an arbitrary decision is made to close the roads leading to the Mall from dawn to dusk. Only allowing cars that state that they are going to the Mall, doesn’t come close to compensating for the number of persons that simply do not worry due to this inconvenience caused by the diversions.
Today the entire Mall is like a ghost town, business is not good and every day is a fight for survival. We need our Government and Police to be cognizant of this fact and work with us to find a way to allow for the safety of these dignitaries with minimal disruption to the business.
Another crucial point is that due to the road closure no minibus passengers were able to access the Mall yesterday. This effectively took away 50% of our traffic and the road closure another 35% – in total an 85% loss of business yesterday.
Closing the roads for the entire day is not a good option and I am sure that with more thought a solution can be found. A simple closing and opening of the roadways to allow arrival and departure of the dignitaries may be an option. Some awareness of the implications of these actions when planning to close roads would be appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Roy Beepat
Chairman
Giftland Group
