South vendors heckle touring Govt party

Amid a number of quarelling street vendors, Local Government Minister  Rennie Dumas on Tuesday toured High Street, San Fernando and environs. The minister was accompanied by Mayor Ian Atherly, deputy Mayor Malika Blair, San Fernando West MP and Minister in the Gender Affairs Ministry Diane Seukeran, CEO of the City Corporation Marlene Coudray and ASP Sydney Corbett of the City Police. While touring Short Street, which has been allocated for use by vendors, the protests aimed at the touring party were hurled in loud, defiant choruses. The vendors, dissatisfied by being placed on Short Street, shouted, “We not staying here!”

Another shouted, “Oh gosh all we want is two days on de streets, that is all. “Deh just want to take we and push we here on Short Street, but hardly anybody passing here, on High Street is de better hustle,” another added, with one hand on hip and the other pointing at the mayor and minister. However, the mayor,  who declared war on street vending two months ago and Minister Dumas were unmoved. The Local Government minister said, “I’m not going to support vending on the street, Short Street is unacceptable in the long run. In the long run,  borough or city corporation would come up with forms of moving vendors from the streets. Hand carts and motorised carts may be used.” The minister pointed out that Short Street needs proper cleaning and sanitary measures before being considered as a long term vending site. At  the same time he admitted that vending can be considered first generation business ventures since many established businesses started off in this way. He added, “We do not want to dissuade vending.” He however, he pointed out that vending must not be allowed to obstruct the legally established businesses. As for the pedestrian mall as suggested by the San Fernando mayor, the minister referred to it as “desirable option.”

He said his visit was also aimed at interact with the agencies delivering services, special attention must be given to speed up and broaden these range of services. The minister also gave the assurance during  his tenure in the Local Government  Ministry there would not be anything like ghost gangs or widespread corruption. He added, “I don’t think you’ll see anything like that.” He  spoke of restructuring the Unemployment Relief Programme(URP) incorporating “adding first level training in construction, plumbing masonry and other trades” since as he added, “URP is not a career.” Both the mayor and San Fernando West MP Seukeran were delighted to welcome the minister to the city. The Mayor said it was part of the minister’s programme to meet all officials at all the corporations in what is a proactive approach to getting the job done. Seukeran said this  relationship was needed to raise the quality of life to developed national standards. She also commended CEO Coudray for running the corporation like a “tight ship.”