Christmas shoppers are snubbing Birmingham after the city was gridlocked by roadworks, a taxi boss has claimed.
TOA Taxis chairman Manawar Hussein said customers were asking to be taken to locations like Solihull’s giant Touchwood mall instead.
Drivers in and around the city centre are experiencing major delays because of roadworks at the bottom end of Broad Street and Holloway Circus .
Around-the-clock restrictions at Holloway Circus are expected to be lifted before Christmas.
But drivers heading into the city centre for Christmas shopping or parties or to enjoy the German Market are currently facing huge delays which have continued late into the evening.
Mr Hussein said: “We think people are not coming in to Birmingham as much for shopping – they are preferring to go to places like Solihull’s Touchwood centre.
“It’s not a good thing to do this many roadworks at this time of the year.
“Birmingham City Council has its own agenda and just carries on.
“They don’t think about the consumers or other road users or businesses – we are feeling the pinch in the office.
“The council needs to have a more positive plan to keep the traffic moving.
“To be doing the Holloway Circus roadworks at this time of the year is ridiculous because it is driving business away from the city centre.”
The Broad Street works are due to the extension of the Midland Metro to Centenary Square.
The Holloway Circus upgrade includes providing a left turn only lane into Suffolk Street Queensway and extra traffic signals.
The manager of Birmingham’s showpiece Malmaison hotel, in the Mailbox, said there had been a “spike” in complaints about access, but business was still “booming”.
Damien Goom said: “There has been a spike in complaints from people saying they have been trying to find us, but we haven’t had a drop in bookings.
“Some satnavs take people to the back of the Mailbox.
“For the city to be improved I suppose we have got to take a bit of pain.”
On its website, the council thanked drivers for their patience.
It said: “Birmingham is undergoing unprecedented levels of development, especially in the city centre, and we know this is not always easy for people living and working in or visiting the city.
“We are trying to minimise the disruption, but with so much going on in a small area and with so many people in the city centre every day, a level of inconvenience is inevitable.
“We continue to monitor levels of traffic and to make ongoing changes to traffic management arrangements where particular problems emerge.
“We thank you for your ongoing patience.”
