Charity NDC moves to relocate vendors

Oct 07, 2010 News

Yesterday was the deadline for the Charity vendors to discontinue vending on the shoulders of the Charity Public road. The result was that the vendors became adamant about moving to the tarmac aback of the Charity water front that was earmarked for vending at Charity.
The vendors claimed that they received a notice from the local NDC at Charity on Monday. They contended that the time was too short for most of them to move, since they have to dismantle and re-erect their stalls at the new site.

Yesterday was the deadline for the Charity vendors to discontinue vending on the shoulders of the Charity Public road. The result was that the vendors became adamant about moving to the tarmac aback of the Charity water front that was earmarked for vending at Charity. The vendors claimed that they received a notice from the local NDC at Charity on Monday. They contended that the time was too short for most of them to move, since they have to dismantle and re-erect their stalls at the new site. A spokesman from the NDC office at Charity said that the vendors knew that the road site activity is illegal and vending on the shoulders of the Charity roadway could not have continued forever. He also pointed to the hazardous congestion that regularly occurs; especially with vehicles which use the same road to ply on a daily basis, however vendors are unwilling to move on the grounds alternative area, such as the tarmac, which they argue is unsuitable. Vendors pointed out to the lack of sanitary facilities, electricity, security, proper drainage, no proper entrance and exit. Mr. Fizul Bacchus, RDC councilor, said the vendors and the NDC were both engaged in two separate meetings. Mr. Bacchus said that the Wednesday deadline to have the vendors removed, was set by the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Local Government, in conjunction with the local NDC and RDC. At Charity yesterday morning a few vendors were seen dismantling their stalls voluntarily, while others who were opposed to moving vented their frustration about moving to the new site. One vendor, Shoba Daljit, who has been vending at Charity for over the last 35 years said she had been selling at Charity every day. “The tarmac has been built in an industrial site, a lot of illegal stuff is going on behind their and the space that we were given is too small to do business.” Another vendor who is selling DVD discs, Baskh, said, ‘Dismantling my stall is a costly exercise, one will have to get a vehicle to transport your stuff in; it floods when it rains and the fumes from the Pomeroon Oil Mill is atrocious. “I have already invested a lot of money for the upcoming Christmas season, all I am asking is for an extended time.”

A spokesman from the NDC office at Charity said that the vendors knew that the road site activity is illegal and vending on the shoulders of the Charity roadway could not have continued forever.
He also pointed to the hazardous congestion that regularly occurs; especially with vehicles which use the same road to ply on a daily basis, however vendors are unwilling to move on the grounds alternative area, such as the tarmac, which they argue is unsuitable.
Vendors pointed out to the lack of sanitary facilities, electricity, security, proper drainage, no proper entrance and exit.
Mr. Fizul Bacchus, RDC councilor, said the vendors and the NDC were both engaged in two separate meetings.
Mr. Bacchus said that the Wednesday deadline to have the vendors removed, was set by the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Local Government, in conjunction with the local NDC and RDC.
At Charity yesterday morning a few vendors were seen dismantling their stalls voluntarily, while others who were opposed to moving vented their frustration about moving to the new site.
One vendor, Shoba Daljit, who has been vending at Charity for over the last 35 years said she had been selling at Charity every day.
“The tarmac has been built in an industrial site, a lot of illegal stuff is going on behind their and the space that we were given is too small to do business.”
Another vendor who is selling DVD discs, Baskh, said, ‘Dismantling my stall is a costly exercise, one will have to get a vehicle to transport your stuff in; it floods when it rains and the fumes from the Pomeroon Oil Mill is atrocious.
“I have already invested a lot of money for the upcoming Christmas season, all I am asking is for an extended time.”