Laurence runs a café in the middle of the work, her rant

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“People need to know how horrible it is, when we are traders, to lose visibility and passage with the arrival of work”: since January 2024, Laurence, owner of the Caracol Café in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, lost 30% of its turnover.

While the delivery date for this project along the future high-level service bus line between Part-Dieu and Sept-Chemins is still far away, Laurence sees the hope of holding on dwindling.

Long works

In front of its window, construction vehicles follow one another. The sidewalk is much reduced, a deep hole reveals the water and gas pipes which have just been redone. “We are no longer visible, customers no longer comeand it's killing us. Without our customers, we are nothing,” laments Laurence.

It's shocking to see how quickly people change their habits and forget about businesses. If it continues like this next year, we won't be able to survive. This accumulation of losses is too heavy to bear. It's really difficult to deal with.

Cafes like his rely on foot traffic to reach the turnover target. “I resumed in October 2023. I was never told that there would be this work when I took over the business. If I had known, I might not have purchased here! »

A shortage of ten customers per day

Laurence clearly saw the difference and the impact of the arrival of the construction site. Her regulars don't shun her, but the score is not good: “I only miss ten customers per day so that I can achieve my goals. The problem is that it accumulates…”

The few signs installed by the Metropolis to indicate that businesses remain open during the work do not seem to be bearing fruit.

“No one helps us”

For Laurence, the hardest thing is not seeing any help, any compensation: “It’s the project of my lifebut there is a real risk that I will close the door after the first assessment. » His anger resonates with that of Jean-Michel, manager of a Bricorama caught between work in Villeurbanne.

The procedures for obtaining financial assistance from the metropolis or Sytral are complicated and demoralizing. No one supports us, and the aid, if it exists, is not concrete enough. We are asked to put “The Region supports you” stickers, but the result is quite different. We see no action to compensate.

However, Laurence had to deprive herself of the installation of her terrace from March to October because of the work and deplores her loss of income. “I sincerely hope that everything will be finished before next spring. But even if it will be better once the work is finished, will we still be there? I don’t know,” she concluded bitterly.

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