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“Now that we’re eventually getting more people back in the city, this happens.
“[Traders] are worried, obviously. They don’t know how long this is going to last.”
Andy Chen, the owner of the Shanghai Village restaurant, was another of the Chinatown traders concerned about the decline in business.
He told the association businesses were anxious over the weekend and fear a significant drop in customers.
The group wants the City of Melbourne and the state government to explore what more can be done to avoid deadly incidents in the CBD, including more frequent police patrols.
“[The January 2017 tragedy, when six people died and dozens more were injured] was a while ago, but still, it just seems like it was yesterday,” Le said.
“These incidents really do play on your mind, you can’t help but be a bit paranoid and anxious.”
In December 2017, a driver rammed pedestrians crossing the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets, killing an elderly man and injuring 17 others.
In November 2018, a man parked his ute on Bourke Street and set it alight before stabbing three people, killing Melbourne cafe owner Sisto Malaspina, in a terror attack.
Chloe Beevers, the president of the City Precinct small business trade association, said the latest Bourke Street crash brought back memories of the deadly 2017 attack.
“[Friday’s incident] is shocking, having been there to witness those previous incidents,” she said.
“Businesses work very hard to make the city a…
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