M&CC rounds up all roadside cosmetologists, barbers

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green on Monday instructed Town Clerk Royston King to have all hairdressers, cosmetologists, nail technicians and barbers plying their trade along city streets rounded up and returned to the Merriman Mall.

“Unless they are willing to go rent their own stations wherever they want; then they must return to the Merriman Mall…if they are there, then they should be removed since their time have expired,” Chase Green instructed.

The Mayor’s instructions came after King informed her that cosmetologists and barbers were still lining the streets causing health hazards as well as congestion. He added that the beauticians were supposed to return to the Mall following a grace period of 48 hours extended to them by the M&CC.

However, Chase Green firmly stated that all beauticians and barbers should be returned to the Merriman Mall if they want to continue to ply their trade. “There should be no one on the street and any constable, chief constable, admin officer whoever think they can have people on the street must be brought before the Council to be disciplined,” she warned.

The municipality’s Public Relations Officer, Debra Lewis, in a letter to the press, argued that the barbers’ and hairdressers’ actions were a “contravention of the Municipal and District Councils Act 28:01 to operate a roadside barbershop or hairdressing salon. Further, it is an unsafe health practice that can compromise the health of customers and service providers. It is also difficult for officers of the Council to monitor roving street barbershops.”

When this publication visited the Merriman Mall, it was observed that there were a few barbers and hairdressers plying their trade. However, there were still barbers and hairdressers plying their trade on the sidewalks of America and Longden Streets unbothered.