More ‘white elephants’

Aug 30, 2011 News

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– Market tarmacs underutilised
Government has produced even more white elephants after developing market tarmacs in rural areas which cost a lot of money and are not being utilised as they should be.
This is the view of many residents in areas where these facilities were built.
The aim of this initiative was to alleviate the burden of vendors who were literally “fighting” for vending space in order to make a living, and to eliminate the threat that they posed to the free and safe flow of traffic on the roadways.
Kaieteur News understands that the tarmacs at Buxton, Enmore and Plaisance on the East Coast Demerara have not met the residents’ satisfaction and thus, these tarmacs are either underused or hardly serving their purpose.
At Enmore, the “market days” are held on Fridays only and the majority of the persons who frequent this market are sugar workers, since they are in proximity.

Some residents in the area explained that though vendors operate at this location, there is not much business, since other shoppers find it a nuisance to have to travel to that location just to purchase items.
“It don’t really mek sense that this mek here ‘cause nobody don’t really shop except cane cutters and a few people that live nearby. Still a lot of people does prefer to go to Mon Repos Market. You see, that deh pun the road and does get nuff people going to buy things. It easier to access,” said one man.
A few other residents expressed their dissatisfaction at the manner in which things were being operated in their village.
“We don’t know how much money this thing (Enmore market tarmac) cost. Then dem seh how dem building one in Haslington or dem build one, we don’t know. Is millions dem say Haslington own costing, but still we not seeing nothing happening,” added a disgruntled cane-cutter.
He stated that another market at Haslington does not make sense, since the people in that village will either go to the nearby Golden Grove Market or to the bigger one at Mon Repos on Saturdays.
When Kaieteur News arrived at the Haslington Village on Saturday, residents of both “Haslington North” and “Haslington South” were unaware of any new market tarmac being constructed in their village. In fact, they were not even aware that one was supposed to have been built there to facilitate any local vendors or their community.
“What market tarmac? They got one road, the old road where people does sell, but none ah we here ain’t know nothing about no tarmac being built here. Maybe is somewhere in Haslington South, but definitely not here, unless you mean the one dey build in Enmore,” were the sentiments of a young man who resides in Haslington North.
Residents of Haslington South were also unaware of a market tarmac being developed in their area.
“No, we don’t know about any tarmac here. Check in Enmore side ‘cause it ain’t got none here,” said one woman.
Earlier this year, estimates for the construction of market tarmacs were approved under the 2011 National Budget by the National Assembly. Several were to be completed, with $20M being allocated for a tarmac at Haslington, $17.5M for Plaisance; $4.2M for Buxton and $134M for Mahaica.
At Buxton, vendors are presently operating comfortably at their usual spots although a market tarmac has been established within walking distance from their current location.
“How dem expect we must shift over there? It mark off like little boxes, we could only use that to play hop-scotch or something. It too small for any ah we, and we stall can’t even fit in the boxed-off area. Is a waste of money ‘cause that lil spot sure as hell don’t look like it worth how much dem claim it worth!” complained one female vendor.

Others stated that they are unhappy with the fact that little consideration was taken in demarcating the spots which they were supposed to be vending in.
“Dem don’t have to sell here so dem won’t know. If dem been in we shoes dem would know. This Government only seeing ways to spend we money and the least dem could do was ask we about space and thing. The tarmac just deh deh like one monument, except it don’t cost much, and ain’t worth we time to move there,” said another stallholder in Buxton.
Meanwhile, the new market tarmac which was established at the Diamond/Grove New Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), at a cost of $24.5M, is yet to be utilised.
On November 20, 2009, contractor Khemraj Nauth inked a $24.5M contract to establish a 4,600-square metere market tarmac located between the first and second bridges on the southern side of the scheme.
Most of the vendors have been removed from the roadways and are unable to vend since they do not have a permanent or appropriate location to do so.
One vendor stated that many residents would find it convenient to shop at the front since they have to pass that specific area to and from home every day, and all they (residents) had to do was “stop and shop”.
Now, they are resorting to supermarkets and well-known established and licenced shops located on the public road, since the vendors have been removed.
According to the residents, at present, the long-awaited tarmac is being utilised by young men as a recreational spot, for cricket and other sporting activities, while stray cows are often found browsing and sleeping there.
At Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, another tarmac is serving the purpose as its sister tarmac at Diamond/ Grove New Scheme, a “well established cricket pitch” and a “new pound for stray animals”.
Though some of the other tarmacs are functional, many vendors prefer to either stop vending until another alternative is sought or to continue vending in their old locations, because it is not “profitable” to relocate to these tarmacs.
Some vendors, on the other hand, are awaiting the “final touches” to be administered on these tarmacs which “appear to be finished” so that they can re-commence their vending.

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