Dear Editor,
I wish to alert the relevant authorities to the uncontrollable lawless situation on King Street. There is a new shanty town being constructed on the road (King Street) between Regent and Robb Street. There seem to be different laws for different folks. It is amazing that the city council is a stone’s throw away and it is escaping their attention whilst a fruit vendor at John Ford Car Park (not on the road) comes under their hammer. The police on a daily basis charge motorists who park diagonally in the corner of the street yet nothing is done to people erecting tents and placing coconut carts on the road. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that they along with the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Works will be removing illegal structures but this nonsense on King Street is allowed to grow. Almost all the Judges and Magistrate traverse this street on a daily basis.
I must mention that these lawless people are all tenants of a popular businessman who should know better. These people are paying a rent to him and as their businesses expand, they occupy the street which motorists should be using. I have seen the city constables chase down people and arrest them and they completely ignored this permanent illegality. I was charged for obstructing the free flow of traffic although my parked car was much more off the street than two illegal structures. One of the structures is a mini bus converted to a store with a pop corn machine placed next to it. I explained to the policeman and he promptly informed me that his job is to deal with vehicles on the road and not shops on the road. How can one convert a mini bus to a store and park it on the road? Whatever happened to Chapter 51:02 (traffic act) the section governing road service and goods transportation licences? Both Chapter 28:01 (municipal act) and 51:02 will tell you that what is happening there is illegal, so why is this being allowed?
How can we allow a few lawless people to further damage the image of our dear capital? Some vendors who vended for years on minor streets and avenues are being removed/ prosecuted while structures are erected on major streets in the full view of those in authority but nothing is being done.
There must be an investigation to ascertain who gave the permission to legitimize this illegality and these culprits must be removed from office immediately.
Having said all of the above, I am now looking forward to my next visit to King Street with my car. I am hoping that I will not to have to be competing with shops and stores on the street.
Yours faithfully,
David Roberts