An east Auckland business owner surrounded by disruptive construction has endured frightening attacks by teenage gangs and suffered major losses in takings because of the ongoing works.
Mandip Kingra, owner-operator of GAS fuel station and Pakuranga Vape on Pakuranga Road next to Pakuranga Plaza, says his business’ turnover is down 65 per cent over the past year.
During this period, he’s also been targeted by gangs of youths who were preparing to raid his store and steal cash takings and stock.
He says on two consecutive evenings earlier this year, he was at the premises when the two groups of different teenagers he estimates were aged 16-17 and wearing balaclavas attempted to commit aggravated burglaries.
When the Times visited Kingra’s service station, he pointed to two roller cages he’s had installed inside the shop front’s windows as deterrents for potential attacks by burglars.
He also played CCTV footage of him chasing away one group of four balaclava-wearing teens.
Kingra says he reported the burglary attempts to police and says the offenders on the second evening were apprehended nearby because law enforcement officers were quick to attend the scene.
The ongoing construction works for the Eastern Busway, involving repurposing adjacent land where the Pakuranga Plaza car parks and vehicle connections to Pakuranga Road circle his fuel station and vape shop, has caused major disruptions to his trade, hitting him hard in the pocket.
“It really impacted between August [2023] and March,” says Kingra. “There were periods when there was no entrance and no exit. It was very difficult for my customers to get in.”
Kingra has owned and operated Pakuranga GAS for seven years and worked in the fuel-supply retail sector for 15 years.
Despite the ongoing Eastern Busway works around him, including when construction involved upgrading lanes on Pakuranga Road last summer, he isn’t critical of Auckland Transport (AT).
“To be honest, they’ve been pretty good with their communication. I’m satisfied.”
AT has also assisted him with temporary mobile signs displaying his fuel prices.
Kingra’s appreciative to the people who have remained his customers through the difficult past year.
“Even in those circumstances, they’ve been very supportive of me at this time,” he says.
“They’ve told me they could have gone somewhere else for their fuel, but I’ve been very fortunate to have very loyal customers.”
