The vendors issue has many twists

Jan 13, 2011 Editorial

The administration has taken to removing the vendors, both fixed and itinerant from the vicinity of Stabroek Market in a move reminiscent of what was attempted in 2005 and again in 2007 when the nation prepared to host Cricket world Cup. On those occasions one challenge came from the vendors themselves who moved to the courts and secured permission to vend from six in the morning to six in the evening.
Of course, there was no enforcement of the court ruling so pretty soon the vendors extended their departure until they began selling throughout the night. Needless to say, the group of vendors increased so that when the government said that it was going to do road works in that area, the Works Ministry had problems in the initial stages.
Last week a grenade went off with deadly consequences for one man. Nineteen persons in the vicinity were injured, some of them seriously, to the extent that at least two may lose their vision in one eye. This must have been the catalyst for the massive demolition exercise that followed.
None of the permanent vendors expected such action because over time they had established relationships with the power company and Guyana Water Inc. These vendors had become fixtures. They provided a service to all who frequented the area. And when they established their permanence there was no effort to stop them. Herein lies the problem.
The city council seemed to have no problem with the permanent structures and so these remained for more than a decade. The bulldozers came unannounced. There was no notice to the vendors. Indeed, some of these people had been at the location for so long that they could have applied for prescriptive rights.
What is worrying is the fact that the very vendors seemed to have failed to secure their presence. They were the ones who were authorized to sell from dawn to dusk but they allowed newcomers to encroach on the privilege. These newcomers were the people who spent all night and probably forced the action that has seen just about everyone losing the chance to make a living.
The vendors who secured the court order said that they would shut shop at six in the evening. The newcomers would remain all night. Regardless of the breach the authorities should have served notice on the vendors. There are those who might have been there illegally but the reality is that the actions of the authorities granted these vendors legality.
It is this legality that allowed them to access Guyana Power and Light and Guyana Water Inc further consolidating their right to operate in the vicinity of Stabroek Market. It is this that has allowed the vendors to express shock at the move to demolish their stands.
City Hall, too, seems not to be in favour of the demolition. This in itself tells a story of where the power lies. The Mayorship has been rendered toothless. In any city the Mayor is the powerhouse. The Georgetown municipality is a far cry. When the President summoned the displaced vendors the Mayor turned up for the meeting but the president refused him an audience and proceeded to reinforce the order of court granted in 2005.
There is need for the two—the government and the city council—to exhibit a level of coordination. It is this apparent conflict that has given rise to some of the situations. It allowed the vendors to play one against the other at times.
The situation is still fluid because it would seem that the government is still not settled on which vendors will operate where. One day the bread vendors were allocated vending space and the next they were told to remove.
But this is not only about the vendors; it is also about the minibus operators who now complain about parking. They too are jostling with the vendors for space.
Cleaning up the city is what is desired. People often complain about Georgetown being a garbage city and complaining when efforts are taken. The very vendors who demand the right to earn a living and who should be allowed to vend in an orderly manner are the contributors to the garbage piles.
So, when all is said and done the vendors must accept some blame for their predicament.

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The vendors issue has many twists

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