FOOTSCRAY Asian Business Association (FABA) traders have placed “No Parking Meter” signs on their store windows in a silent protest against Maribyrnong City Council’s parking machines.

The signs- which include “Council keep our customers away”, “Sunshine free, why not Footscray?” and “March against Parking Meters”- line storefronts in Hopkins, Nicholson, Byron and Leeds streets.

FABA remains at loggerheads with the council over its decision to install 30 on-street and off-street parking ticket machines around Footscray’s CBD.

The committee is “steadfastly against” the inclusion of off-street parking machines and wants the council to build multi-storey car parks to encourage more shoppers.

FABA has vowed to run candidates in the November election if the stalemate continues.

An on-street protest might also be on the cards.

“This community always protects one another…we have to stick together. If our voice continues to be ignored, we will run candidates,” Phuong Nguyen from the Victorian branch of the Vietnamese Community in Australia said.

“Don’t underestimate the Asian community. We are popular, we are large.”

Mr Nguyen said the council held meetings with FABA “only for consultation’s sake”.

The council met with FABA and the Footscray Trader’s Association (FTA) separately on 22 July to discuss the issue.

Mr Nguyen said the council deliberately held separate meetings because they were responsible for setting up the FTA as an alternative to FABA.

But Transport Manager Ian Butterworth said the council had helped the FTA get on its feet “to create a traders’ association that is representative of all businesses in Footscray”.

“From the onset of its development, FABA has been invited to and attended some meetings that the FTA have held,” he said.