Mayor of the Town of Anna Regina, Rajendra Prabhulall, is maintaining that there will be no roadside vending from today and all vendors will be relocated to the Bush Lot market at Cotton Field.
He added that the council will be dismantling vendors’ stalls. However such an exercise was impossible yesterday after several vendors staged a protest outside the gates of the Anna Regina Town Council. Whilst the council was conducting their August statutory meeting inside, vendors stood outside in the sun with their placards for almost the entire day pleading with the council to allow them to vend.
The Anna Regina Town Council decided to move the vendors to facilitate development works that are currently ongoing in the Essequibo Coast township.
The government through the Anna Regina Town Council (ARTC) has plans to construct two roads within the Pomeroon-Supenaam Township. The road works will commence shortly and the ARTC has issued notices to vendors who were vending alongside the shoulders of the road.
The council’s decision has resulted in series of protests organised by PNCR leader in the Region, Prince Holder, along with the affected vendors. Many of the vendors are hesitant to move as they say they attract more customers on the roadside. They also say that they cannot afford to acquire makeshift tents to vend temporarily and they had invested money to construct their wooden stalls which the council is currently aiming to dismantle.
“First they used to tell us that our stalls are shabby and it makes the Town looks ugly. This is we living, we earn from this, so they had to tell we that if we get tent they would allow us. Now we hearing that road has to build. We are poor people we depend on this… but we have to go with the flow,” vendor Steve Persaud said.
Vendor representative, Nahib Sabir spoke on behalf of the vendors requested the council to allow longstanding vendors to vend. Sankar said that many persons depend on vending to sustain their livelihood and that most persons cannot afford to purchase tents. He maintained that all the structures that were built at the Market are temporary.
The Mayor, however, said that based on meetings conducted with vendors by the council, some vendors are cooperating while some are not.
“For years those vending on the road shoulders did not want to move and were not complying, but now there is no other choice because the roads have to be constructed and it’s a threat to them, I am happy some persons are complying,” Prabhulall was quoted as saying.
As of Friday, over 135 vendors who were vending along the road shoulders will be occupying stalls at the Bush Lot market. The road leading to the Anna Regina market will be closed, paving the way for the construction of the thoroughfare.
Vendors who were vending inside the Anna Regina market will remain there.
The Mayor said that he is very thankful to the Region Two administration and the Anna Regina Fire Station for assisting with the cleaning and sanitising of several stalls at the Bush Lot old market. He also said that the tarmac at the Bush Lot market was washed to accommodate vendors.
Meanwhile, several vendors said that they are not pleased but are going with the flow. They are however requesting an upgrade of the current tarmac at the Bush Lot market claiming that it is not up to standard.
The Mayor assured that he would represent their interests and that the tarmac will be rehabilitated shortly. He also said that staff members from the ARTC will be on the ground to assist vendors during the moving process.
Vendors do not have to pay an additional fee to the council for the relocation. Also, the council will be communicating with drivers to ensure that no additional fare is charged to persons who want to visit the market.
