Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
La Penitence vendors protest outside OP
After being informed that they would have to remove from the La Penitence Market, some vendors decided to protest in front of the Office of the President in order to gain a meeting with the Head of State to highlight their plight of not having a proper location to vend and other issues.
Security officials then removed them from in front of the Office of the President (OP) and told them to stand at the corner of Shiv Chanderpaul Drive and South Road, Bourda, where they continued their protest.
Some of the La Penitence vendors that protested around the Office of the President
At the protest some of the placards read, “Poor people need help to rebuild stall”, “Vendors need a healthy location” and “we have loans to pay and a family to care for.”
The vendors collectively agreed that the Mayor and City Council, Ministry of Local Government, and the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics have been stalling in finding a solution to the La Penitence vendors’ issues of relocation and assistance. They said that they want building materials to rebuild their respective stalls.
“We agree to move but we need somewhere proper. They just suggesting the empty lot opposite the market, or Punt Trench.
All they doing is talking; let them give we the lot opposite the market so we could start work,” one woman said.
“We have perishables, greens, vegetables and stocks that we will lose when they take so long to tell we where to go and vend. We need help! And we want the President to listen to what we have to say.”
It was also noted by the vendors that letters were written to the President, Mayor and City Council, Ministry of Local Government, and Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics but there was never a reply. “When we call and ask the secretary she tell we the President is a busy man and he must have not seen any letter…so I guess we are just going to wait forever!”
Yesterday some vendors and other workmen were dismantling some stalls along the parapet of the road lining the La Penitence Market.
They have until Thursday to relocate.
Some stalls were shifted to a location in the vicinity of the Sussex Street entrance. On Sunday, workmen from the Ministry were clearing the fish section of the La Penitence Market to facilitate a dozen stall holders that were given permission by the authorities to vend.
According to secretary of Albouystown Market Committee and stall owner, Rickford Nelson, yesterday was the last vending day for at least 16 vendors who are to commence the demolition of their stalls pending relocation.
Last Friday, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn met with some of the vendors to discuss their relocation and to address their concerns.
The stallholders were told that they were vending on Government reserves, but that this was an arrangement between them and the City Council, which was collecting rates and taxes from the vendors.
It was also noted that the road, drains and pavement belong to government, and the declared public roads have a certain status in the law which allows for expansion and progress.
However, this present project is set to ease the congestion and traffic build up along the East Bank Demerara roadway during peak hours.
While closing off the La Penitence area for a few weeks will provide a huge headache for road officials faced with the choice of having to reroute traffic. The options are very few with many of the side streets in Albouystown too small or in a bad state.
Traffic on the East Bank Demerara has been critical over the past years with even the four-lane highway unable to handle the increase in the number of vehicles.
The Ministry’s work will commence on January 20 and will take approximately four months to complete.
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