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Repairs commence on Bourda Market
– but vendors raise concerns about quality of work
This entrance at the eastern side of the Bourda Market is still a concern to vendors although repairs have been carried out. Vagrants can be seen lying outside as persons enter the facility.
Bourda Market is undergoing $2M in repairs, and the programme should last two weeks, according to Deputy Mayor Robert Williams, yesterday.
He said that materials for the works were procured last week, and contractors were put to the task almost immediately. He noted that the rehabilitation process is concentrated primarily on the Eastern Section of the market.
Among the works, is the replacement of the guttering, fixing of the plumbing system, and the setting up of a proper fence with expanding metals.
According to Williams, although some 60 lighting fixtures were installed during the latter part of last year, a few more will be added shortly.
The works come as part of the surety the Mayor and City Council gave to vendors, in pursuit of an increase in stall rentals.
Williams said, that the current works represent the first phase of the municipality’s plans for the Bourda Market. Four more phases of works are likely, before the market is restored to an acceptable state.
Yesterday, it was evident that expanding metals have been installed along a section of the eastern side. This newspaper understands that works had commenced some time ago on that section, but were halted due to the municipality’s inability to procure certain materials in a timely manner. Among the essential materials, were the expanding metals for the fence.
Vendors yesterday said that while they are pleased that the municipality has commenced rehabilitation of the market, they are not satisfied with the quality of work being done. Several of them complained, that efforts to repair the entrance to the market is a cause for concern, as the material used would make it an easy task for robbers to break into the facility.
Over the years, vendors had suffered at the hands of robbers, which has been one of the primary bases for their call for repairs to the market.
They have also complained, that the roofing remains in a deplorable condition in some sections. Many of them are forced to use tarpaulins and umbrellas to cover their merchandise when it rains. The presence of drug addicts (junkies) and homeless persons around the periphery of the market does not make operating any easier, the vendors said yesterday.
According to them, they are willing to pay the requisite increase, but they are hoping that the municipality will give them value for their money, in the form of a proper market.
Several vendors had earlier challenged the municipality’s request for them to pay the increase, stating that the city entity had failed to fulfil a promise to repair the facility some four years ago, when it last raised fees. They, (vendors) as a result, had even retained the service of a lawyer, who was prepared to file an injunction against the municipality, to halt the payment until repairs had been carried out.
Several of them have since decided to pay the increase, in anticipation of the repairs.
Clerk of Markets, Schulder Griffith, in an invited comment recently, said that more vendors have come forward to pay the requisite increase, despite the efforts by some to fight the process. He highlighted two weekends ago, that more than 100 stallholders had made payment.
Griffith, as a result, had expressed his confidence that even the disgruntled vendors will also come to terms with the situation, and eventually make their payments as well.
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