Leven pizza parlour owner hits out at council

Mohsen Atabat says that walk-in business has dropped 80 per cent since the works started in October.

He claimed that the temporary taxi rank outside his store left no room for vehicles to pass, forcing taxis to park up on the curb.

He said this had been going on since October, and that it could last for a further three or four months.

Mr Atabat said this was “damaging my business at the moment” and called on Fife Council to move the taxi rank.

“I asked the council if they could move the taxi rank,” he said.

“Why are they not moving it?

“I’m not asking the council for money, just that they help me keep my customers coming.

“I have to pay the rent, business rates.

“I want the council to temporarily move the taxis. It means someone could park here and spend a couple of pennies.

“Taxis are portable – they can go anywhere. We can’t.”

Mr Atabat said that the location of the rank had also forced him to travel through to Kirkcaldy to pick up deliveries.

“My deliveries can’t get in here,” he explained. “I have to get my stock myself because the drivers can’t park somewhere else and walk all the way here with the delivery.”

Fife Council said that during the construction “there has been some encroachment onto the path on Branch Street to accommodate the busy taxi rank – but this still allows clear access into the shop entrance”.

It added that the taxi rank location would change once the contract was complete.

It said it expected work to be finished by March.