New Amsterdam roadside vendors to be removed this week

…Town Council to set up night market

Vendors who are currently operating along the road shoulders in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), will be removed this week, the Town Council has announced.
The New Amsterdam Town Council has said that roadside vendors were given up to January 2 to remove their structures.
Foreman of the Engineering Department, Charles Johnson, pointed out that the structures have been creating hindrances to the municipality’s drain-cleaning exercise. Addressing the media at a press conference on Wednesday, the municipal official said derelict vehicles will also be removed.
“We are shortly going to be rolling out a campaign to have those removed. Once it is removed, some will be destroyed, and the others, you will have to pay a fine to recover same,” he told reporters.
Johnson added that the campaign, while commencing in January, will run until March, and will first target Strand before moving to Main Street, and then to Republic Road. He noted that the campaign would also be rolled out in Stanleytown and other parts of the town.
“Persons selling greens and other perishables were also given notices to return to the market as of January 2, 2024. So, at the same time that we are dealing with this drainage project, we are going to be having those persons remove their stalls or other structures (from the reserve)…,” he warned, while noting that persons would be allowed to vend of the road shoulders within the township after the municipal market is closed.
“After 4:30 in the afternoons, persons can vend those various items. But during the day, which would be 06:00h to 16:30h, that will not be permitted within the boundaries of the town,” he explained.
This is not the first time that the New Amsterdam municipality has planned to make such a move; it has almost become an annual affair, and within weeks, the situation returns to what it has always been. Johnson has promised that this time it will be different.
“What happened over the years is that enforcement was an issue, so this year we have put together a team that will deal with the ongoing enforcement of these policies. So, when we have persons removed, we will have a special team that would be doing daily checks and inspections to ensure that persons are not vending where they are not supposed to, and during the times that are not allotted,” he explained.
As an alternative, the municipality is soon to establish a night market, which would be a site for selling after the market’s opening hours.
The Engineering Department foreman pointed out that, under the law, his department has the authority to remove any encumbrance which affects drainage in the town.
Johnson told the media that several notices have been sent to persons, but no action was taken; so, now is time for action.
“Notices were sent to persons that would be affected throughout last year. However, at the Council’s last statutory meeting, a decision was taken that we would take action to have these persons removed,” he declared.
The Engineering Department foreman also showed the media a copy of the notice that the Town Council had been issuing to those utilising the road shoulders to vend. (G4)