Arima vendors locked out of market

Vendor Vashti Jagdeosingh said the decision to lock the market’s main entrance came from Arima Borough Corporation CEO Cheryl Sirju-Chong, in an attempt to crack down on reports of drug use and illegal vending.

“I don’t mind them (the Arima Borough Corporation) doing something to put an end to all these robberies, but locking the gate isn’t helping the situation one bit. The robberies have continued and the illegal vendors are still here causing trouble for us,” Jagdeosingh said.

Jagdeosingh said that with the main gates locked, vendors have now been forced to enter and exit the market through a narrow side entrance and says that in addition to being a serious fire hazard it also discourages customers from purchasing goods from the vendors.

“There are twenty-plus people within a confined space, if an accident occurs and we have to leave the market in a hurry all of us are going to rush towards that one narrow door. Also, a lot of customers see the main entrance closed and think that we are closed and the few that can see us in here don’t want to have to crawl through this narrow space just to buy from us.” Newsday understands that a meeting between Arima Mayor Lisa Morris Julian, officials of the Borough Corporation and the vendors was scheduled for yesterday but neither the mayor nor Borough officials were present.

Vendors said they intend to keep up the pressure until the situation was resolved.

Newsday attempted to contact Major Julian but was unsuccessful.

In a media release issued earlier in the week however, Julian expressed her support for the efforts by the Municipal Police to quell incidences of illegal vending and robberies at the market adding that the council maintains a zero tolerance approach to illegal activities.