Village Road auto dealer ‘in a pickle’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A VILLAGE Road businessman says he is “in a pickle” despite commerce returning with a “bang” as he seeks compensation for lost trade and damage to his property that he alleges was caused by ongoing roadworks.

Brent Fox, Montague Motors’ principal, told Tribune Business he is unsure whether to hold-off on paying this year’s Business

Licence fee amid hopes the Government will deliver on its promise of compensation for the area’s businesses because his company would effectively be shut down without doing so.

Pointing out that Customs will refuse to clear his vehicle imports without a valid Business Licence, he nevertheless acknowledged that business had “tripled” since the beginning of January when Village Road was paved and access re-opened to consumers at its northern end.

However, Mr Fox told this newspaper that revived trade will not make up for 2022 when monthly sales were off by between 30-70 percent compared to normal as customers avoided the area due to the