1 day after High Court order: Vendors around GPHC served with removal notices by M&CC

One day after the High Court granted an Order of Mandamus to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the Council has officially served notices on all vendors operating in the vicinity of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
These notices formally direct vendors to cease all trading activities and remove their structures from the designated hospital zones, specifically along New Market Street, East Street, Middle Street, and Lamaha Street in Georgetown.
They come as the M&CC seek to be in compliance with a High Court order issued on Tuesday, which mandated the removal of vendors and other obstructions from the surroundings of the GPHC after the hospital obtained an Order of Mandamus against the Town Clerk of the City of Georgetown.
The notice states, “Vendors plying their trade around the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation are hereby given notice to cease vending and remove all pallets, tables, trays, tents, caravans, etc, from around the environs of the hospital on or before Wednesday, May 20, 2026.”
Further, the notice expresses that it is issued in accordance with Section 10 of the City Government By-laws of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, and is also a result of potential litigation against the Council in relation to the same.
The notice also mentioned that failure to comply will result in vendors paying hefty fines to retrieve their items once seized.
“Please note that failure to adhere to this notice will result in the Council removing the same. Resultantly, a storage fee of not less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) will be applied to all items removed by the Council,” the notice stated.
Items not retrieved after one month from the date of removal will be sold or disposed of by the Council.
The High Court order was issued by Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty following a hearing in the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature.
The court ordered the Town Clerk, Candace Nelson, along with the Mayor and City Council’s servants and agents, to remove or cause to be removed food and beverage vendors, hucksters, mobile trucks, carts, and other encumbrances from areas surrounding the hospital compound by May 31.
The affected areas include Lamaha Street between Thomas Street and East Street, East Street between Lamaha Street and New Market Street, New Market Street between Thomas Street and East Street, and Middle Street between Thomas Street and East Street.
The order also covers vehicles, pushcarts, drays, barrels, boxes, dustbins, pallets, structures, and other items left on parapets and pavements around the hospital.
The proceedings arose from a fixed-date application filed by the hospital on March 17, 2026, under the court’s judicial review jurisdiction. Attorneys-at-law Sase Gunraj and Jayaram Sanasie appeared for the applicant, while Everton Singh-Lammy and Angel Stephens represented the respondent.
According to court documents previously reported by Guyana Times on March 18, the hospital argued that the presence of vendors and other encumbrances significantly obstructed access to the medical facility, affecting the movement of staff, patients, and emergency vehicles.
The hospital also raised concerns about sanitation, alleging that waste and debris were being left along pavements and roadways surrounding the institution.
In the application filed by Attorney-at-law Sase Gunraj, the hospital contended that the M&CC failed to fulfil its statutory duty under the Municipal and District Councils Act to keep streets and pavements clear.
Court documents stated that the hospital had written to the Council on April 30 and May 7, 2024, as well as January 5, 2026, requesting the removal of vendors and warning that legal action could follow if the matter were not addressed.
While the Council had reportedly indicated a willingness to resolve the issue, the hospital claimed that no effective action was taken.
Earlier this year, Town Clerk Candace Nelson told Guyana Times that some vendors appeared to be occupying the area during late afternoon, night-time, and weekend hours in an apparent effort to avoid enforcement.
In an interview published on January 7, Nelson said she observed only a few vendors in the area during morning inspections but noted that others operated during periods when the M&CC was not patrolling the vicinity.
The issue of unauthorised vending has also affected other businesses in Georgetown in recent years, with companies including Muneshwers Limited, Banks DIH Limited, and Yhip’s Bakery previously taking legal action to have vendors removed from outside their premises.
The court further ordered that there be no order as to costs.