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Vreed-en-Hoop roadside vendors return

Mar 02, 2015 News

Just over a week after employees from the Ministry of Works demolished vendors’ stalls at the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) junction, the vendors have set up shop again.
This is to the dismay of parishioners of the St. Swithin’s Anglican Church, and disapproval of Minister of Works, Robeson Benn.
In a letter to the Chairman of the Best/Klein Pouderoyen Neighbourhood Democratic Council at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, the church representatives highlighted the many disadvantages they face because of conditions created by the vendors.
In the letter, parishioners explained in detail the “unpleasant, dangerous and unhealthy” conditions that the church is forced to put up with.
Amongst the inconvenient conditions mentioned, was the fact that the position of the vendors’ stalls inhibits the safe entering, and exiting of the church. This is so because there is no longer a clear path at the entrance of the church. They went as far as to say that they foresee serious injury to church members, and damage to vehicles as an inevitable result of their entrance being blocked off.
The church representatives claimed that the church authority placed two poles at the side of the church gate in order to bring some order to the situation. Their original purpose was that of directing churchgoers to the entrance of the church, since it cannot easily be seen because of the stalls in front of it.
However, the vendors decided to convert the poles to support for their stalls.
On Saturday, Works Minister Robeson Benn said that the local authority will have to get involved, and he maintained that the stalls will have to be removed. The Minister added that Parishioners had complained and the area was cleared, but now things have gone from bad to worse.
A few years ago, the vendors’ stalls were dismantled, and sometime after, in more recent years, drains were recreated.
But the drains are now clogged with garbage. Church members have complained about the garbage, which builds up in the drains because of the vendors’ total disregard for cleanliness.
They also complained of garbage that is being disposed of along the church fence and the stench that emanates from it.
Benn explained that the local authority stood up and watched as vendors rebuilt stalls, after they were torn down back in 2010. He condemned the reconstruction of the stalls, since it is unlawful for the vendors to set up shop there.
The vendors told Kaieteur News that this is their only source of income and they will continue to sell until they are moved to another location. One vendor, who identified herself as Samantha, said that Minister Benn had promised to meet with them since last Wednesday, but they have not seen or heard anything from him.
“Right now, we just selling and keeping our eyes open for when they come to break our stalls down again,” the woman said.
The vendors claimed that President Ramotar and the Minister promised them faithfully, that they would be able to sell there until given notice to move, and that arrangements would be made for a market place to be set up for them.
They contend that only a few persons were causing problems to the church, but all the vendors were forced to pay for that.

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