Who has the right?

Curepe residents, represented by the group known as the United Curepe Neighbourhood Watch, and the University of the West Indies(UWI), St Augustine, are both claiming rights to a parcel of land, located just opposite the popular “U-WEE” doubles stand on the corner of Evans Street, Curepe, not far away from UWI.

Both parties have shown legal documents to prove these rights, but the residents are in an uproar since UWI has already begun work for a planned car park. The neighbourhood group said that the land was promised to them since in the days of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), in order to construct a recreational park for children and senior citizens through help from the former Councillor for the area, Shah Hosein, in 1996. Residents were not able to go ahead with construction over the years due to changes in governments. But this did not stop them, as they made small moves to improve the aesthetics of the area, planting poui trees and other rare and exotic species supplied by the Ministry of Agriculture. Late last year, however, they heard rumours that UWI wanted to construct a car park on the same plot.

Interim Chairman of the group, Dayanand Singh, said at first they thought it was just rumours, but realised that UWI was serious when the land was marked off, fences put up and foundation work began in earnest. This, even though there is a sign that bears the initial purpose, “University’s Children Park.” Singh wants to know how permission for the land, which was first given to the residents, could be “over ridden” and given to someone else. As a result, they are considering legal action and have already approached former Attorney General, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj on the issue. Residents are upset that UWI has gone ahead with work on the land for the planned car park, since they were hoping for a place to call their own, a recreational facility for the youths and senior citizens of the area.

Campus Registrar, William Iton, said the institution had applied for the same parcel of land a few years ago in order to alleviate UWI’s problem of a shortage of car- parking space. “We applied again recently and got the necessary approval, so we are going full speed ahead with our plans,” he said. He explained that currently there are only 1,100 parking spots available and this was not enough to accommodate the student population. Iton said, whereas the residents were promised the land some years ago by former politicians, UWI was given a more recent approval and intended to act upon it, pointing out that the land had not been in use over the past years. He said he was willing to meet with the residents to try and work out alternative arrangements and cooperate with them as best as possible. Director of the Lands and Surveys Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Tyrone Leong, who was said to have endorsed UWI’s approval, refused comment on the matter.

Humphrey: They should share it

While former councillor for the area, Shah Hosein, described the situation as disturbing, since he was the one responsible for getting approval for the residents, former Housing Minister, John Humphrey, suggested that UWI officials and the residents should share the land.

In response to the current battle, Hosein said: “It behooves my intelligence to know how UWI could have gotten the land, because I know that the land was initially earmarked for the residents.” He wants to know how UWI could take the land away from the residents and is calling on them to mobilise and find ways to take back what is rightfully theirs. “They should let UWI know that the land is theirs and they (UWI), by their whims and fancies, cannot take it away from them,” he said. Humphrey, who is aware of the land in question since the plan was available during his tenure, said it was initially designed for a multi-purpose, recreational facility, to accommodate the vendors, as well as a car park. “By UWI moving in on the plan without consultation with the residents, they are throwing the community out of the plan and the residents will not get to enjoy it,” he said. Humphrey has called on all parties involved, to get together and consider the possibility of sharing the space, since the land is a fairly large enough to accommodate both purposes.

UWI vendors plead: Don’t move us out

The people most affected by the turn of events, are the more sought-after doubles and food vendors, who said their livelihoods are at stake. They claimed they were several threats made against them to move, in order to accommodate construction work. The vendors are pleading to the relevant authorities to make alternative arrangements since they had been operating from the location for several years and have had no problems until now. One vendor said: “If they move me, it will be very traumatic because I am a single-parent mother trying to survive.” She suggested that the authorities meet with the vendors to make other arrangements, rather than move them out and put them on the breadline.

Manager of the popular “U-WEE” doubles, Maltee Ganesh, feels the authorities should leave the vendors alone as they try to settle the land squabble. Operating at the same spot for the past 30 years, Ganesh has made a name for herself, having attracted hundreds of people across the country for her tasty doubles. She spoke about constantly being harasssed by certain people, who have been threatening her to move out. Ganesh said authorities should not see them as just vendors trying to “make a dollar”, but people contributing to the development of the area. “Many times we have to watch out for the students. The other day, one female student was attacked by bandits and it was we, the vendors, who had to call the police,” she said. She pointed out that if they are removed from that area, the place will be more dangerous and isolated for UWI students. “We are serving a purpose here. Practically the entire student body buys from us, but they (officials), have told us we cannot continue to operate here because UWI needs to get the land back,” she said. Ganesh said recently, another official, posing as a health inspector, also threatened her.

Residents: We need the park more

Public Relations Officer and spokesman for the United Curepe Neighbourhood Watch, Norris Deonarine, said if UWI takes the land, there will be nothing left for the residents. He said currently, more than 15,000 people live in Curepe and there is only one savannah, about a mile away which does not service the residents who live nearby. Singh said there is also another small savannah, south of Curepe, but he lamented, this has been overtaken by negative, social elements such as drug-users, pushers and other criminals. “People no longer feel safe to use the other savannah,” he said. Deonarine and Singh explained that what is even sadder, is that even though UWI has a need for parking space and is utilising all the space in the area, the university has barred off residents who may want to use the facility for recreational purposes.

In addition, the residents are sometimes treated badly by campus security officials, they said. “So what other avenues or alternatives do the residents have?” asked the concerned community activists. They said if UWI takes away the only land available to them, there will be nothing for the youths to keep them away from crime and nowhere to hold cultural activities. Deonarine described UWI’s move as “bullyish,” asking why were they taking over all of St Augustine/Curepe and leaving nothing for the residents. One resident said the treatment is unfair, because Curepe/St Augustine is a “university village,” with many residents, opening their homes to accommodate UWI students, keeping them safe while they are away from home. “But now we are being squeezed out and we will have nothing for the people of Curepe,” said Deonarine. He wants to know how government could allow this, when United Nations (UN) has stated that wherever there are housing developments, there must be an area targeted for leisure/recreational activities.

The residents find it upsetting that UWI officials did not consult with them before moving full-speed ahead with their plans. This, even though Iton claimed he was willing to meet with the residents. Deonarine pointed out that the land was initially owned by the Trinidad Railway Limited when railway was in existence but was later passed on to the Public Transportation Service Corporation(PTSC). “We don’t know if the land was reverted back to the state but UWI cannot now say that the land is theirs,” he said. “We have a right as citizens of Curepe to deserve something which is rightfully ours and we will fight for it in the court if we have to,” said Deonarine. Another resident said at one time, playing cricket was allowed outside UWI’s compound, but not anymore. “I find this is real stupidness. We have no recreational facilities and they giving it to UWI. It already have crime among the youths, give the youths something to stay occupied instead of getting involved in crime,” said longtime resident, George Ramrattan. One resident pointed out that UWI already had a couple hundred acres of land and wants to know why they should be “grabbing” more.

Traffic congestion and other concerns

The neighbourhood watch group said while they sympathise with UWI and their parking space problem, Singh predicts a number of other problems, should they go ahead with the car park plan. One of the major concerns is the traffic congestion, in and around the area, which is likely to develop once the car park has been established. Another concern, he said, is security for the students. With a number of criminal activities occurring on the campus and around the area over the last few years, he felt that the students will be a more likely target, with a car park some distance away from the campus. Singh said the fencing, which UWI has already erected from the corner of Evans Street, straight down to Watt Street, has already become a security risk for residents. “With the kind of breakneck speed people drive along that road, if there is a collision between two cars and one runs off the road, where are pedestrians going to brace themselves?” he asked.

Singh predicted that the new car park will worsen traffic congestion in the area, with residents being severely inconvenienced, especially when rerouting as they make their way to places such as nearby supermarkets. “Right now, traffic is bad as it already is. Evans Street cannot accommodate and was not designed to accommodate 5,000 to 7,000 cars,” he said. Singh found it upsetting that so far, there has been no consultation with the residents over the impending car park plan.  The group has already put together a traffic management plan and is hoping UWI will collaborate with them on the matter.