Vending must be done in structured, organised manner – Minister Dharamlall tells Regent St vendors

Days after the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (GM&CC) demolished several illegal structures around Georgetown, including Regent Street, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall told aggrieved vendors that it is crucial that they ply their trade in a structured and organised manner.
On Sunday, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) demolished several illegal structures that were hindering the city’s drainage system in preparation for the rainy season but this move has caused some rebellion by the vendors, who claimed that they rely on their stalls to earn a living.

However, Minister Dharamlall met with the vendors and reassured them that their livelihoods would not be disrupted and that no one would be displaced. He also encouraged them to work with the Government to keep the drains and parapets clean to reduce the risk of flooding caused by backed-up garbage and heavy rainfall.
“We had received reports that there are rumours that stalls were being broken under the instructions of the Government… this is not the position of the Government, we would like people to ply their trade, but do so in a very structured and organised way…”
As such, he stated that a clean-up exercise has been scheduled for Sunday, in which the vendors have agreed to participate. This is a positive step in the right direction toward better waste management and flood prevention in the area.
The M&CC’s decision to clear the area was also supported by Town Clerk (ag) Candace Nelson, who explained that it was necessary to prepare for the rainy season. City Engineer Colvern Venture echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that flooding would affect a large amount of people in the area and that action needed to be taken to prevent it.
“The exercise was basically to alleviate flooding in the city. Just a few days ago we had water on the land, and we have persons who were affected, even the vendors themselves were affected…so what we did was to take the initiative to come out and to remove the blockages”, she added.
In the wake of the Minister’s visit, the vendors requested that bins be placed along these areas to facilitate better waste management.
“We want cohesion, I will like to suggest that we try and provide bins…over the news I keep hearing the vendors have the place dirty… passers-by throw their rubbish in the drains”, the acting Town Clerk noted.