Call it risking their lives, but vendors at the Stabroek Market Wharf continue to ply their daily trade in an effort to sustain themselves on an old and dilapidated structure which is on the brink of collapse.
A walk through the area will reveal large spaces between the planks, some of which are no longer nailed down. There are huge holes in the zinc sheets, a section of the roof missing and a not-so-nice smell. But despite these conditions, a number of vendors still operate stalls on the wharf and it also serves as a mooring place for boats. The offices of the Clerk of Markets and other staff who manage the functioning of the market, are also located on the structure.
Head of the Market Committee at City Hall Ranwell Jordan told Stabroek News that the council was aware of the situation and had plans to address it. He said Acting Clerk of Markets Simone McKene informed them of the situation about two weeks ago.
Jordan said he organised a team to visit the area and at the last committee meeting, a report was submitted by the Engineer’s Department about the urgency of the work that needs to be done to the wharf. From the team’s observation it was found that the “palls have moved away, combined with the fact [that] the piles have rotted… Any strong tide will cause the section to collapse….”
He also said that at the meeting it was decided that Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn should be contacted on the issue and for his assistance in remedying the situation.
When asked if there are any plans to do any immediate work given the wharf’s condition, Jordan said no, while adding that for that to occur funds have to be available.
Jordan said while they are still allowing persons to vend on the wharf, at the next committee meeting they may recommend that those persons be removed and the necessary measures be put in place to accommodate them.
When this newspaper visited the wharf, most vendors were afraid to express their views about the wharf’s condition because they were afraid that their stalls would be taken away as was done in the past. The few who spoke said they were not satisfied with the conditions they have to operate under.
McKene said no major works have been done to the wharf in a long time and due to the condition, stall holders would complain from time to time. She said their complaints increase when the area is flooded.
One fruit vendor said that because of the spaces in flooring of the structure, persons who use it can fall through. She said she has been selling at the facility for over 30 years and it has been in the same condition from then to now. She added that they have complained to the relevant authorities on numerous occasions but nothing has been done. “Dem coming an tek measurement and nothing ain’t doing. They only coming and coming…,” she said. The woman added that when it rains, they are forced to work in the flooded stalls. “You getting wet more in there than out there. When dem bring dem sand bag fuh block, we just tek it an throw it pun de hole deh [pointing to the missing plank on the wharf].”
To improve their working environment, some stall holders have bought materials to repair the building. City Council personnel would normally do the work once the material is bought. One vendor said they had bought zinc sheets for the roof, which were used, but this did not help.
Another stall holder showed us the inside of her stall where the flooring has rotted leaving a big gap. The vendor, who is a seamstress, said she could not operate her business from the stall and as such she took another stall nearby.
In addition to these problems, vendors on the wharf said men would go under the wharf and push sticks at them from underneath through the holes. They said the men sometimes set fire under the wharf and would throw things at them to get their attention. One vendor showed us a spot where she threw water on one of the men who was bothering her. She also told this newspaper that they have to wear pants all of the time because of the men.
