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Bottled water vendors challenge removal order
Bottled water vendors remain defiant in a bid to ply their trade despite orders by Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Robeson Benn, to have them removed from along the streets of Georgetown.
A water vendor on Regent Street, Georgetown.
Last week, several persons selling beverages along the intersection at Vlissengen Road and Lamaha Street, Georgetown were removed after an order was sent out by Minister Benn. The disgruntled vendors were reportedly taken away in a vehicle from Public Works Ministry. Some of their goods and storage equipment, (mainly water coolers) were also seized.
The move was initiated by the Minister after it was noted that there has been an increase in the number of persons vending at the main intersections, traffic lights, street corners and roadside reserves hindering the free flow of traffic around the city.
Minister Benn said that vendors were served notices from the Ministry informing them to desist from vending along roadside reserves and major intersections since it is unlawful to occupy the roadsides for commercial use. The Minister also noted that the illegal practice puts road users at risk.
“We can’t have persons standing at the street lights and intersections stopping the traffic just to make a sale. This can cause accidents and people can get hurt,” Minister Benn said.
He noted, too, that not only are these persons not authorized to vend along the roadside but their latest methods for vending water also poses destruction to the infrastructure.
“Some of them only sold bottled water at first but their operations increased from selling water to soft drinks to plantain chips and so on… It would be reckless of us to allow them to continue like this. The administration would not spend millions of dollars on the infrastructure to have it degraded like this,” he said.
The Minister noted that persons who may wish to continue plying their trade can do so in a more considerable manner. “There is no law against walking and selling…”
However, some vendors remain defiant in their attempts to earn a living. Ron Mc Calman, a water and beverage vendor at the Stabroek Market area, said that he is not willing to give up the trade since it is his main source of income. The father of three has been working on the streets for the last two months.
Another vendor who identified herself as “Samantha” expressed her dissatisfaction at the move by the government and noted that she is steadfast in efforts to earn a living. The Sophia resident and mother of three said that she has been in the business “for as long she can remember.”
“I does sell my things for a living. I don’t trouble people things so I can’t see why they want to target us … If they moving we and putting us in a better place is no problem but them taking bread out of people mouth and we have children to feed,” another vendor expressed.
Ganesh Ramroop, another vendor, communicated similar sentiments. He noted that the Ministry had issued two notices for his removal but that he has no other alternative but to continue selling along the streets of the city.
“I would move from one place to next but I can’t stop sell. We is poor people who earning an honest living. If the government want we move let them create alternative fuh we because we ain’t got nowhere else to go and we got children to take care of,” he said.
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