Many businesses in the Byward Market and Rideau Street area are suffering after a giant sinkhole took over most of Rideau Street.
“It's nothing, everyone is having problems walking, there are absolutely no busses or traffic happening here,” says Jad El Dabaghi of Gabriel’s Pizza. He says he has had to cut down on employees hours and deliveries are down because drivers are having a hard time getting around.
“It is affected us a lot. I would say we are down about 35-40 percent in that week so,” he says.
Tom Hughes works in the Byward Market. He says everyone is suffering, People are “still working 14 hours a day, but the fruit of their labour is not being reaped and that's a real shame.”
Now the city is trying to help kick start business again.
"We will be offering 2 hours of free parking from 8am to 6 pm at the city of Ottawa Byward market parking garage. Which reopened this morning with 200 spaces,” says Mayor Jim Watson.
OC Transpo will also be providing free shuttle from Trim, Eagleson, Fallowfield park-and-rides every hour to the Rideau Centre
The Mayor says this will cost the city $40-thousand for free parking and shuttles, Watson says.
Mayor Jim Watson also provided an update on the sinkhole repairs. "My understanding, from my last briefing, is that we're still on target for the two-week timeframe, so that would be next Thursday," Watson says.
Work has been ongoing ever since the massive hole opened up on Rideau Street June 8th.
