FURIOUS traders on a Glasgow high street claim their businesses are being strangled by roadworks and new parking restrictions.

Car-parking spaces have been removed to create an extended bus stop outside their shops in Duke Street in Dennistoun.

Now delivery men have to carry large sacks of potatoes down the street rather than being able to park outside the local takeaway.

A stretch of the road and pavement was closed for more than a week while work to remove parking metres and remodel the pavement took place.

Business-owners say they lost money during this time and fear they will be hit in the pocket again because customers who drive to their shops cannot stop on this section of street any more.

Glasgow City Council says the work was to ease traffic flow on Duke Street but those who work there every day claim congestion was not a problem.

They have also hit out at a lack of consultation and say their businesses were disrupted without warning.

Now a section of road, stretching the length of five shops, has been marked off as a "no car zone".

Vicky Zecchino, who has owned a chip shop with her husband, Claudio, for 12 years, said the work has left them with no loading space outside their takeaway.

She said: "We are very concerned this will drive away customers.

"Not only have we lost the three car-parking spaces which were used by customers, but we have lost the ability to take deliveries outside the shop.

"We have suppliers turning up here with huge bags of potatoes and now have to ask them to park further down the street and carry them into the shop because we have no access at the back.

"This is ridiculous."

Mrs Zecchino said she and the other business-owners were not consulted over the changes.

She said: "I knew nothing about this until workmen turned up and started digging up the road.

"There was a digger and piles of slabs and hardly any room for people to walk on the pavement.

"There was previously a bay for buses to pull into and let traffic pass, but this has been filled in.

"I can't understand how this will ease congestion."

Mr and Mrs Zecchino said parking metres and bays were installed only two years ago.

Mr Zecchino said: "It seems a waste of money to rip them out two years later. There was nothing wrong with the street as it was.

"I have been told that this extended bus lane is to ease congestion but traffic is not a problem here.

"Some of our customers have told us they can't understand why the council has done this."

Yasar Mutaz, who runs the neighbouring Lifestyle Express Newsagent, added: "I have already lost customers because of this.

"During the week when part of the road was closed I noticed a big difference.

"I was told about the work but we businesses-owners were never consulted."

He added: "We now have an area marked off which would fit up to four buses.

"I have never seen that many buses stopping here at the same time, maybe two maximum, yet this has been created at the expense of the parking spaces – it doesn't make any sense. There was already a lack of parking spaces.

"We workers have to park in the side streets and this causes frustration for residents."

Claire Hart who runs Mitchell's Hair Studio, added: "When the work was taking place, it was just a write-off for us and we lost customers.

"We are further down the street from where the car-parking bays were but anything that causes a problem for our neighbouring businesses is something we are very concerned about."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "Most people in Glasgow do not have a car and rely on public transport.

"There is a well-established issue with congestion in this area, which most people will recognise.

"We aim to ease that, for the benefit of all road-users as well as residents and businesses."

linziwatson@ eveningtimes.co.uk