City Council’s inaction has led to a city on the brink

Dear Editor,
Georgetown’s vending crisis and the traffic nightmare is being fuelled by the inactions of the Mayor and City Council. For decades, Georgetown has been a city left to its own devices, abandoned to the whims of political apathy, where the needs of its residents and businesses are continually overshadowed by the short-sighted desire of those in power at the City Council to rake in revenue at any cost.
The municipal vending crisis is not just a mere inconvenience—it is a public disaster that continues to spiral out of control. This failure has not only strangled traffic flow, obstructed legitimate local commerce, and rendered roads dangerous and impassable, but it has also severely affected the quality of life for all who call this city home, or work in established businesses and offices in the city.
At the heart of today’s issue is Bourda Market—a historically significant location that, instead of serving the public in a controlled and orderly manner, has become a chaotic battleground where vendors, with little to no regulation, have taken over sidewalks, streets, and even the very entrances of nearby businesses and residences. The streets that pass near this bustling marketplace, especially areas of Robb Street, North Road and Regent Street, are now impassable for anyone attempting to commute or drive through, making it a daily nightmare for residents, tourists, and businesses alike. It is a fact that many Georgetown commuters and legitimate business owners try to avoid these areas entirely, due to the debilitating traffic jams caused by uncontrolled vending activities.
The situation on Robb Street, particularly near Bourda Market which is now alarmingly extending westwards, exemplifies the extent of municipal negligence. The City Council has allowed so-called “drive-through” vending to take place in areas already teeming with traffic. Vendors are not only selling from the sidewalks and encroaching on streets, but from open trucks, metal structures and their cars, creating an additional layer of obstruction and chaos. What was once a thriving commercial corridor is now a street gridlocked with impatient drivers, frustrated pedestrians, residents, and angry business owners watching as their livelihoods and property values are chipped away by an irresponsible and ineffective City Council administration.
What is most staggering is the complete lack of action taken by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), led by Mayor Mentore and his councillors. Despite decades of complaints from local businesses, residents, and even concerned commuters, the council has consistently failed to take meaningful action to mitigate this crisis. The simple fact is, the Council’s failure to act is rooted in the desire to collect revenue from an ever-growing network of unregulated vendors, while disregarding the larger, more pressing concerns of those who live and work legitimately in this city.
The true cost of this unregulated vending is not just measured in traffic congestion. Vendors routinely dump garbage in the drains, blocking them and contributing to turning Georgetown’s once-functional drainage system into a morass of garbage and filth. It’s no wonder that Georgetown earned the unfortunate moniker “Garbage City” in the past—because of the council’s lack of oversight and indifference to proper waste disposal and enforcement. This careless attitude towards the city’s upkeep directly impacts everyone: the public health of the city’s residents is compromised, businesses are forced to deal with the after-effects of dirty streets and stagnant water, and the image of Georgetown, once a proud and prosperous capital in the distant past, continues to erode daily.
The concerns being raised here is not about politics but management of the city. It is truly staggering that after years of complaints, protests, and increasing public outcry, the same people have held control of the City Council for decades, have shown no willingness to reform or even acknowledge the scale of the issues. Special kinds of patronage, corruption, and a culture of neglect have allowed this situation to fester, leaving the residents, commuters and legitimate business owners of Georgetown resigned to their fate—too conditioned by years of failed promises to hope for anything more. But no longer can we stand by in silence.
We know of some of the usual excuses the Mayor and Councillors would proffer, including lack of revenue. But you do not need extra revenue to resolve some of these issues. You need firm and resolute management, and consistency in enforcing the laws and regulations. The City Council had identified alternative areas for these vendors in the past but have failed to follow up, and they are woefully inconsistent in every area of management of the Council’s affairs, including enforcement.
The people of Georgetown deserve better. The businesses deserve better. The residents deserve better. The streets must be cleared to allow the free flow of traffic, and removal of these hindrances from in front of residences and legitimate businesses.
It is time for the City Council, led by Mayor Alfred Mentore, to stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for the chaos they have allowed to grow unchecked. It is time for a comprehensive solution to the vending crisis that addresses not only the need for regulation and control but also the proper management of waste, the restoration of traffic flow, and the protection of the livelihoods of legitimate businesses.
This would necessarily require the immediate removal of the newly placed open-vending trucks, tents and metal vending structures from Robb Street between Alexander Street to Camp Street, and other such affected areas and strict regulation and zoning of vending activities.
In addition, vendors should be restricted to defined operating hours, which must be enforced, particularly in high-traffic areas like Robb Street, North Road and Regent Street, to prevent additional congestion.
The City Council must ensure proper waste management: vendors should dispose of waste in designated bins and not in drains or public spaces. A zero-tolerance policy should be implemented for littering and improper disposal of garbage.
City Council officials must work with the Constabulary and Guyana Police Force to ensure that roads around markets remain passable, creating a smoother flow for vehicles and pedestrians.
There must be accountability and transparency. A transparent audit of all vending activities and their associated revenue, with public disclosure of how this money is being used to improve the City.
If the Council fails to act, Georgetown will remain a city mired in chaos, stagnation, and frustration. The current state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue and seriously warrants legal action to be taken against the City Council, the Mayor and Councillors.
The people of Georgetown, from residents to business owners, have long waited for a solution. It is time for change—before Georgetown’s streets, businesses, and its future become permanently stained and compromised because of the failures of the Mayor and Councilors at City Council.
We are now increasingly being viewed from an international perspective because of oil and gas industry, so it is important to attract foreign investors and tourists to boost the economy of the city by providing an attractive and organized environment.
We demand that the City Council do its job. The future of Georgetown depends on it.

Yours Sincerely,
Brian Sid Kingston