PITY the shopkeepers whose trade is said to have slumped by 40 per cent since tough new parking restrictions were introduced.
But pity, too, the motorists, delivery drivers and bus passengers who were caught up in traffic jams on the notorious Stratford Road before it was designated a red route.
Trouble is, the A34 is a major but narrow road and, in many parts, also a place to shop.
The Stratford Road Traders' Association says that members are staring bankruptcy in the face, with their takings plummeting since the red route was introduced.
They warn that the area could become a ghost town unless the experiment ends.
But what of the drivers and passengers who would again face nightmare journeys to and from the city centre if a parking free-for-all was allowed to return to Stratford Road?
Birmingham City Council is caught between a rock and hard place over this issue.
Shopkeepers or commuters – whose interests should be at the forefront?
There is a lot of hard and creative thinking to be done if councillors are to strike the right balance.