Puran Singh’s business is under threat.

The Tauranga man is the owner of an Indian takeaway and sweet shop store that has been on Cameron Road since 2008.

The Cameron Road construction is putting his business under threat of closing down.

The loss of parking outside his business to a new cycling path has hugely impacted his business along with all the businesses around him.

“Before we had parking in here,” says Puran, pointing to the new bike path created along Cameron Road right outside his business.

“Now we have no parking.

“I’m very upset,” he says.

“The final design of the Building our future - Cameron Road, Te Papa project includes a new two-way cycleway and part-time bus lanes,” says Tauranga City Council General Manager: Infrastructure, Nic Johansson.

“These new facilities have meant changes to parking in the area and we’ve worked closely with businesses during the design phase of the project to find ways to meet their customer parking and delivery needs.

“One solution has been to add time limits to side streets to discourage all-day parking and increase turnover to support customer use,” says Nic.

“When they started the project, the guy [project manager] came and saw me and told me he could put a bus line there with timed parking,” says Puran.

Puran says he asked for parking to remain outside his store and the project managers assured him saying “yes we’ll keep the time zone there,” he says.

“He came to me and showed me a map and says the bus line is in here and they can put in a time frame on there,” says Puran.

“With regard to this particular location, there is parking available nearby on Second Avenue and Third Avenue,” says Nic.

“We are also adding traffic lights at the intersection of Third Avenue and Cameron Road which will make it easier for drivers to access parking on the side streets.

“Due to the bus stop and turning bay in the vicinity, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to accommodate parking directly outside this business, however, we’re still investigating this and will be in touch with the business owner when we have a final outcome,” says Nic.

“We are disappointed in this decision,” says Puran on behalf of the business and neighbouring businesses.

“This has been happening for a very long time.

“Even the other side,” he says pointing to the other side of the street whose businesses also do not have parking.

“We have been stuck like this for years.”

Puran says he is having customers complaining about not knowing where to park.

“The parking around the area is minimal and a lot of it is paid parking.”

Puran says that it is majorly affecting his business.

He says the neighbouring business has had to change opening hours due to the impact this has had.

“It’s very, very hard for us.”

He says it is majorly affecting revenue.

“We are losing heaps of customers.

“My business is 45 per cent down.”

Even if there was parking for just 10 minutes, Puran says it would make a huge difference because most of his customers come in to pick up their takeaways or sweets.

“They aren’t here very long, they wouldn’t even need to park for long.”