Guyana faces escalating challenges with roadside vending – Traffic Chief

Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh has recently said that the escalating problem of roadside vending was a concern not just in Guyana but throughout the Caribbean.
Singh expressed concern about the heightened risk in Guyana, where vendors often stand in the midst of traffic to sell their products, creating a hazardous situation for both themselves and road users.
The Traffic Chief acknowledged that while there have not been recent cases of fatalities directly attributed to roadside vending, the practice remains inherently dangerous. He emphasised the need for the Police to implement positive measures to address this issue effectively.

“The vendors pose a threat to themselves and those who are using the road,” Singh warned in a recent statement, underscoring the urgent need for intervention.
As authorities grapple with finding solutions, the spotlight is now on devising strategies that not only curb the dangers associated with roadside vending but also contribute to the overall safety of the community.
Even though the current Government says it supports the establishment of small businesses, it said free vending along any major highway would not be encouraged, as it is considered a hindrance to traffic flow.
This is according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who last year underscored that comprehensive work was being undertaken to ensure that there were proper highways and four-lane roads to prevent traffic congestion — an issue that has long been frowned upon by citizens.
However, the Minister noted that some roadside vendors were plying their trade in any spot, affecting the free flow of traffic and creating hazards for drivers.

“As a policy position of the President Irfaan Ali Government, we encourage small business development. We have nothing against people vending, selling, developing small businesses; but you cannot just put up a booth, a shack, a cart at any place where you feel…The purpose why we have put four-lane roads is to ease congestion, reduce travel time, and to make the experience more pleasurable, as opposed to the backup,” Edghill outlined.
The Minister relayed that there are specific areas and markets to facilitate businesses and vendors. In restoring order, he shared, there must be a balance between encouraging business operations and respecting Government’s policies.
“There are markets. There are areas that you can go and vend, but everybody seems to want to do it wherever. For example, at DSL turn, if you sell dog food there and people stop to buy, we have a backup of traffic on four-lane roads. We can’t put vending there,” he explained.
“We intend to start doing improvements, and, somewhere along the line, we have to be able to restore order. Everybody will say they are hustling to make a living, but we have to bring order somewhere along the line…We’re just taking the necessary steps to bring order,” he posited.
In recent times, vendors operating in high-traffic areas have been given notices to remove within a certain timeframe. Just last year, the Public Works Ministry initiated actions to remove vendors who were occupying spaces along New Market Street, between Thomas and East Streets, following notices that they were impeding traffic flow in the vicinity.
According to the notices issued to them, they were informed that their operations had been impeding the smooth flow of traffic in the vicinity of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the main public health institution in the country.