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Chaos at Port Mourant Market on first day of vending
The scene outside the brand new Port Mourant Market yesterday.
– vendors return to old habit of roadside vending
The new Port Mourant Market opened for business yesterday amidst chaos and confusion, with a number of vendors occupying the roadside and spots outside of the new $102M state-of-the-art facility.
Despite that assurance that the market will cater for all vending needs, vendors were seen with pieces of boards and card board boxes as they tried to put up structures to sell their produce.
President Bharrat Jagdeo and Regional officials had assured that all would be well and the market would be fully functional and there will be space for all.
But from as early as Friday it was evident that confusion would have been the order of the day since it was discovered that the market was too small.
One vendor remarked that the situation reeks of corruption to the highest extent.
“They were supposed to build a two-storey market and it now turn one story. But the thing cost the same money,” the irate vendor, who was one of those unable to acquire a stand, stated.
“This gun be another white elephant,” the man added.
On Friday, Regional Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha, Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop and Presidential Adviser Fizal Jaffarally, spent the entire day at the market trying to pacify irate vendors who were trying to find out what was happening.
By Friday evening not much was achieved as there was still a number of enraged and dissatisfied vendors.
Police had to be called in as the situation got out of hand and it was soon realised that the vendors were hoodwinked, as the structure was totally inadequate to accommodate the number of vendors that would occupy the market on Saturdays.
The Port Mourant Market is one of the biggest Saturday markets in the country and thousands of persons would pass through.
There was much confusion as a number of vendors was still without stalls and returned to the same roadside which the Regional Chairman had said would be freed up.
A number of fights broke out as vendors traded punches for stalls and spaces to sell. Regional Officials who spent the entire Friday at the market were a no show yesterday.
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