'Death for small business': Melbourne street lined with tombstones in protest of parking change

Melbourne business owners will take to the streets today, to protest council plans to remove parking spaces in favour of bike lanes and tram stops.

Traders on Chapel Street say the move will kill business in the area, so they are sending a strong message by lining the busy precinct with tombstones. which read "RIP Chapel Street - Death to Parking, Death To Business".

Chapel Street Precinct Association's Matt Lanigan told Today business owners heavily rely on easy parking to keep trade alive and after seeing similar bike lanes installed in Melbourne CBD and Sydney's Oxford Street, businesses are going to suffer.

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"I think we just need to look at our neighbours over in Port Phillip with Fitzroy Street and Acland Street, to see how those retail areas have been decimated because of similar things," he said.

"And everyone knows the story of Oxford Street in Sydney, I think that's still recovering at the moment."

Michaela Fellner operates the Bodhi and Ride Gym nearby and she said after Melbourne's infamous lockdowns, small businesses are already struggling.

"I think the last thing that anyone in Melbourne needs, any small business in Melbourne needs over the last four years is less parking," she said.

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"My customers don't live directly next door to the vicinity, they drive here on their way home from work, on the way to work, so I think, honestly, the last thing we need is less parking and having our customers pay for parking as well.

"With the cost of living crisis in Melbourne, it's already an absolute struggle, so I feel quite passionate about this not being the right thing.''

Do you think the bike lanes will impact trade for the Chapel Street businesses? Let us know