City Council wants one stop feeding spot

THE Port-of-Spain Corporation has no problem with “good Samaritans” feeding vagrants. But Mayor Murchison Brown thinks there should be a more acceptable system in place in doing so. Addressing the statutory meeting of the council last Thursday, he suggested that the do-gooders find a common venue from where food boxes could be handed out in a more humane and systematic manner.

The mayor was commenting on the amount of litter found (food boxes and cups) on the streets and in the various squares and parks after the vagrants consumed their meals. “The good Samaritans should take some pride in what they are doing. Don’t give corporation workers more work than is necessary while they are trying “to keep the city clean,” he said. And about the homeless, he said they are not all vagrants. “You give them accommodation with a bed on which to sleep, but they prefer to make use of the pavement,” he explained.

Claiming that all efforts are being made to have the homeless housed properly, the mayor said he learnt that legislation would soon be taken to Cabinet to deal with the matter. Meanwhile, in its determined effort to provide for a cleaner environment, the mayor said the Corporation is getting help from Corporate citizens. Recently, it took delivery of 12 new garbage bins from NIPDEC. Next month, it expects to get 30 new litter carts. Meanwhile, in response to a query, the public health committee of the Council has been told by the corporation’s sanitary inspectors that Broadway, Independence Square, Cockerton and Prince Streets are washed daily, but garbage pile-up and the vagrancy situation continue to pose a major problem.