$25M Diamond market tarmac not serving intended purpose

Jan 16, 2015 News

Almost five years and $25M later, the Diamond Market tarmac is still not serving its intended purpose. It is in fact used to facilitate cricket and football games for the youths in the community and is also a home for stray animals.

Many vendors prefer to carry out their trade on the East Bank Demerara Public Road rather than utilizing the space at the tarmac.

Yesterday, a source from the Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) told this newspaper that the vendors do not want to move from where they are currently vending.

“They are selling where the cars and buses would usually stop on the Public Road, so they are making money there, that is why they do not want to move. They believe their business will be interrupted at the tarmac.”

The source, who opted to have his name withheld, also said that works are currently being done by the Ministry of Public Works in constructing a fence around the tarmac to prevent trespassing and to make the area secure.

“Once the four-lane road is finished, the vendors will be forced to move and continue their trade on the tarmac, because there wouldn’t be enough space for them to sell on the roadways,” the source said.

He also said that plans are being made to relocate the car park near the market tarmac. The source added that the movement of the park will influence the vendors to move.

“Once the park is there, the vendors will want to move, because all the passengers will go there for transportation, so right there they can shop,” the source related.

The tarmac was built to facilitate vendors who did not have enough space in the old market square at Grove and who had relocated to -the Diamond Public Road and Diamond New Scheme Access Road, causing a major threat to the free and safe flow of traffic around that area.
This resulted in Government’s intervention of creating a safer location in the area which would facilitate the vendors, thus, the establishment of the Diamond market tarmac.
Contractor Khemraj Nauth on November 20, 2009, inked a $24.5M contract with the Ministry of Local Government to establish a 4,600 square meter market tarmac located between the first and second bridges on the southern side of the scheme.
The project was scheduled to be completed at the end of three months there were several delays.

Meanwhile, a woman who has been selling at the Diamond car park said that the tarmac is nothing but a home for stray animals.

“That place is in a mess. Every time you pass there, you see cows, dogs and sometimes donkeys liming there,” the woman said.

Another vendor said that the construction of the tarmac was a disaster from the inception.

“Just like everyone else, we have a family to maintain so we have to sell where we see it fit. On the Public Road, is where everyone passed and stop to shop, now if they hide us away in Diamond how are we going to make money?” the vendor said.

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$25M Diamond market tarmac not serving intended purpose

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