The Mayor and City Councillors have raised concerns about continued vending at the derelict Stabroek wharf.
Controversy arose at Monday’s statutory council meeting after councillors enquired as to why vendors were still plying their trade on the wharf, which was deemed unsafe months ago.
The question was raised by constituency councillor Denroy Tudor after discussions about the dimensions of stalls at Russell Square, where all vendors from the wharf were supposed to be relocated.
According to acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe, the wharf was expected to be cleared after all of the vendors would have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for them to be temporarily relocated to Russell Square. Harry-Munroe added that the last set of persons who were supposed to sign the MoU currently have about three weeks left to vacate the wharf.
While noting that the vendors would have gotten extra time to vacate the wharf, councillor Heston Bostwick questioned who would have approved the extension. Harry-Munroe then said, “Though they would have built their stalls, they continue to operate from the wharf. So, what we would have indicated is that when the last set of persons sign their Memorandum of Understanding, the six weeks thereafter… we will close off those stalls.” She went on to say that although the council has blocked off entrances to the wharf and only left one passageway for vendors to be able to access and store goods in the stalls, some vendors continued to conduct business on the wharf. The Town Clerk said that at the end of the six-week period the Stabroek wharf will be completely blocked off and the vendors will not be able to access the wharf.
Mayor Ubraj Narine told the council that he is not pleased with the way that the matter is being handled, while stating that if any mishaps are to occur at the wharf it will be the council who will have to face the music.
Bostwick further added that he found it strange that persons are still operating on the wharf after the City Engineer’s Department would have issued an order for vendors to cease operations there. “Once that order had been issued, it should be recognized, even by the Town Clerk. So I find it strange that there are still operations going on at the Stabroek wharf area,” he said.
He went on to say that he believes that city constables should be placed at the wharf to ensure that business is not being conducted there.
When more questions were raised as to why vendors were given the permission to store their goods in their old stalls on the wharf, it was revealed that the former Town Clerk had discussions with the vendors after the movement of the vendors to Russell Square was approved.
After concerns would have been raised about the misuse of the empty stalls and spaces within Russell Square, councilor Oscar Clarke stated that the persons who would have already signed the MoU and had stalls in Russell Square should no longer be on the wharf as they would have had adequate time to facilitate the transition. “If they are not occupying the stalls, which they themselves built, the point is what action should the council take to enforce the occupation of the stalls,” he said.
He also pointed out that if anything happens on the wharf, it is still the responsibility of the council.
Councillor Bishram Kuppen added that at previous meetings with the vendors, a number of them told councillors that they could not afford to construct the new stalls. He also then noted that the sanitary block was also incomplete, which could have contributed to the vendors being reluctant to moving immediately. He then urged the council to consider some of the issues that are keeping the vendors from occupying stalls at Russell Square.
The councillors, however, urged the city administration to respond to recommendations made at the statutory meeting.