Stallholders bemoan City Hall’s inaction over locked Stabroek Market gate

Sep 11, 2018 News 0

The locked Stabroek Market gate

Stall owners operating their business within Stabroek Market are once again calling on the Mayor and City Council to expedite repair works on one of the access gates along the Water Street corridor.
The gate was made inoperable three months ago due to a fault with its frame which prompted city constabularies to lock it down. Presently, the gate can neither open nor close, greatly inconveniencing both stall owners and shoppers.
Council’s procrastination has created an unlevel business environment for stall owners within immediate proximity of the blockade, especially Sheriff Jewellery, Tiwari’s Drug Store, and an apparel vendor.
The owner of the apparel store, Elizabeth Redmond spoke with this publication and said that the barrier has essentially crippled the usual traffic of daily shoppers at the location resulting in a significant decline in sales for her and the other stalls in the vicinity.
She also related to this publication that the impassable gateway also poses a potential security and safety hazard.
“Many times they [Council] would come with a book and pencil write down and take notes and then leave”, Redmond recounted.
Several of the affected stall owners explained that prior to the complete shutdown of the gateway by Council, one side of the gate had been faulty for three years.
“It never worked, yet no effort was made to repair it, and we are worried that after three months nothing has be done, or, it appears, will be done.”