“Illegally parked” cars take over Stabroek Market Square

Though the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has moved to rid the Stabroek Market Square of encumbrances to transform the area by removing the bus park, several private and hire cars have now occupied the area. This occupation comes despite the claims by City Hall that the area should remain clear after the Route 41, 45 and 46 mini-buses as well as several vendors were all relocated.

Guyana Times attempted to ascertain two main concerns: if City Council allowed the occupation of the square by the car operators; and if the M&CC was obtaining fees from the operators. However attempts to contact Town Clerk Royston King to clarify these matters were unsuccessful as we were told he was unavailable.

According to reports, the cars have been operating taxi services in the area. The new area allocated for the bus park was met with much criticism, especially from the operators of Route 45 mini-buses.

When this newspaper spoke with a few of them, they related their frustration of the “unfavourable” parking system which currently has no demarcation lines. The buses were relocated to an area in the vicinity of a footwear store, opposite Demico House, where they had been in the past.

“Whoever in charge of whatever going in, like they don’t have a plan because de buses went there, good, right now they congesting the traffic, they [City Council] doing a bundle of stupidness; they tek where me park and me money getting lil bit, I gat two children,” one minibus driver for 25 years told this publication.

“That is de most stupidness I see in 25 years. They collecting revenue and they tear down de park,” the angry driver said in reference to the posts and chains which City Hall had removed after only installing them last year.

“They put down post and chain and just pull out back all… taxpayer money going down the drain, they tell we they spend hundreds of thousands to do dat but check de big hole wah leff in deh now,” driver Mark Anthony explained.

The Route 45 drivers further stated that the current parking system is endangering passengers as they would have to enter from the side of oncoming traffic. They also complained about the “hot plate” buses which would not observe the turn system. One bus conductor alleged that the hot plate system is facilitated by city police ranks would “allow their friends” to break the chain.

Another bus driver, Jackie, said that all she wants to see is law and order in the area and City Council should “call a spade a spade” in reference to the “illegally parked cars”.

Meanwhile Stabroek Market vendors who had protested their relocation to a vacant spot at Lombard and Hadfield streets told Guyana Times on Wednesday that while business is somewhat slow they are adjusting to their current conditions.