road users are being undermined by business interests, a National Liberal Party spokesman claimed this week.

Mr. Graeme Outerbridge claimed on Thursday that the owners of the A-1 supermarket have been given permission to keep parking in front of their business while it has been banned for all other businesses.

And he warned that the move could make the $1.5 million Government scheme for the area will be a total waste.

After years of complaints, traffic snarls and accidents, trenching began on January 14.

The eight-to-ten week project includes building a sidewalk from Collectors Hill Apothecary to the Cottage Bakery, and prohibiting parking in front of most businesses. Parking will be allowed beside or behind buildings.

It was hoped that would eliminate the problem of vehicles backing into traffic and people walking out on to South Road to get to their cars.

But Mr. Outerbridge, who ran in Smith's South in the last election, accused Government of giving preferential treatment to the A-1.

"There's been selective deal making with the owners,'' Mr. Outerbridge said.

He alleged the MarketPlace -- which operates the store -- threatened to take their business elsewhere if parking could not remain in front of the store.

The MarketPlace has denied the claim.

Mr. Outerbridge said during his canvassing of the area constituents had expressed grave concerns about the project.

They had called for one entrance for businesses in the area and a separate exit, which would be linked to a road at the back of the buildings.

MarketPlace executive vice president Mr. Allan Doughty said the company was considering the interest of all involved. He denied they threatened to vacate the building if not allowed parking in front of the store.

"We said if the parking arrangements were changed and business fell off as a result of this, we might have to look at laying off staff,'' he said.

Noting there was a steep ramp on one side of the store and steps on the other, Mr. Doughty said it would be difficult for the elderly and physically disabled to get grocery carts to their cars.

He said Government's scheme would only give them five parking bays in front, with the rest at the back.

He said the front parking will also have a separate entrance and exit, so there will be no need for traffic to back out into the road.

"The engineers assured us this would work,'' Mr. Doughty said. "We were thinking about our staff, our business and the traffic.'' Secretary of Gibbons Company -- which owns the A-1 building -- Mr. Tom Gibbons said it was a good scheme.

He noted discussions on the parking were still ongoing.

He said the only thing decided was that the parking space in front of the Apothecary was too small to allow store-front parking.

Mr. Gibbons said there was a possibility parking in front of A-1 would only be used as a grocery-pick up area -- with customers bringing their vehicles to the front of the store when they were ready to load their groceries into them.

Mr. Correia, who owns the Cottage Bakery, accused Mr. Outerbridge of trying to score political points.

He said letters were sent to the area's 1,400 constituents during the last election to get their ideas on improving the chaotic junction.

"There were a variety of schemes,'' he said.

But he said it took a long time to get agreement to a scheme from landlords and tenants.

The project was due to start in September, he said, but it was feared that it would not have been completed by Christmas, disrupting a busy time for businesses.

Mr. Correia said since groundbreaking began, he had received no complaints about the scheme.

"I think this will be like the East Broadway project,'' he said, "Everybody griped and complained. Then when it was finished, everyone agreed it was an improvement.''