Technology Companies in North Sydney, including AV and custom installers whose offices are in the 17 story SBS Building, are facing major disruptions to their businesses, with suppliers of services, giving Transport NSW a two finger salute by ignoring Government directives on the Warringah Freeway project which has already been described as another Rozelle Interchange disaster in the making.
One of the biggest offenders is Rydelmere based Retro Traffic, who despite NSW Government signs warning contractors and suppliers not to park in local parking spots their vehicles continue to park while also forcing visitors and residents to wait 30 minutes just to get into their offices and homes so that trades on the project have the right of way.
Contractors to the project are also parking in bays and not paying with local traffic wardens booking local residents bot not NSW Government contractors.
Retro Traffic drivers whose operation is run by a female CEO Fiona Marie McKendry often double park over multiple bays and when challenged their drivers have been known to threaten drivers who complain about their actions.
Locals as well as visitors looking for a parking spot who have challenged drivers and their right to double park across two bays, “We are working for the Government”.
To facilitate road widening parking spots have been removed and space commandeered to provide parking spaces for contractors, but despite the availability of parking spots for suppliers of services, many choose to ignore the free parking, instead they park in bays close to resident’s homes and commercial premises.
One supplier admitted that he did not want to park in the nominated parking area because of the traffic jams being created every day by Retro Traffic, and if he did, he would have to walk a few metres to where his job was taking place carrying tools.
At the junction of Mount Street and Arthur Street businesses operating in the SBS Building which use to be the Bayer building are facing major traffic delays getting into the building of a morning and during the day with long queues snaking back along the slip road, because Retro Traffic vehicles are blocking the main road in front of the building.
In any one day people who use their vehicles to visit clients, are wasting up to 90 minutes sitting in traffic jams created by Retro Traffic.
Couriers and deliveries are banned from the front of the building with a local coffee shop losing trade to a café set up for workers right next door to the coffee shop.
On one occasion a Retro Traffic driver claimed that she was blocking parking spots “Because she was waiting for instructions for her next job”.
On another occasion a driver was caught threatening a business executive who had complained about their parking and the ignoring of NSW Government directives relating to No Parking for contractors in side streets. Last week a former senior transport official warned that Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway projects will be a “bloody disaster” for traffic.
Civil engineer Les Wielinga, a former CEO at the now-defunct Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), made the fiery comments at an NSW parliamentary inquiry into the bungled Rozelle Interchange.
The Western Harbour Tunnel, which is under construction, will allow drivers travelling between the inner west and the North Shore to bypass the CBD.
Locals claim that on several occasions the presence of Retro Traffic vehicles is totally unnecessary, with side roads that have operated effectively now needing a Retro Traffic vehicle and a several people to control vehicles and drivers who have in the past simply looked right to get out of a side road.
Drivers for DHL, UPS and FedEx are being forced into a narrow backlane alongside residental houses just to do deliveries to a 17 story commercial office building that houses multiple technology businesses.
Parking in front of the building have been taken away by Transport NSW.
What’s not known is how much the NSW State Government is spending on the funding of Retro Traffic who appear to create unnecessary situations to justify their presence.
In the Bayer building there are over 80 Companies including multiple software and networking Companies and a Sydney based custom installer.
We are still waiting for a response from Transport NSW and Retro Traffic.
