Latest update April 9th, 2025 12:59 AM
M&CC hosts vendors meeting
A section of the gathering present at City Hall yesterday
As they move forward with plans to beautify the city, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) yesterday met with hundreds of street vendors to discuss various aspects of their restoration project, set for implementation within the coming weeks.
Last month, the council launched the “Green, Clean City initiative”, a programme which seeks to promote efforts, leading to the development and enhancement of the general aesthetics of Georgetown.
The initiative is also aimed at reinforcing a new culture against littering and other illegal practices in Georgetown through environmental counseling and other practical work in the communities.
As part of the efforts, the Council has been removing illegal structures set up to facilitate vending around of the city.
The M&CC team has since tackled vendors along Regent Street and Bourda Market.
But the efforts have not been without strong resistance from vendors and stallholders, who had grown accustomed to trading freely, on the pavements and street corners.
Thus, the Council decided to meet with a number of these vendors at the compound of City Hall, yesterday to facilitate a dialogue on matters of improving the city.
Town Clerk, Royston King, was present as a number of vendors shared their views on the topic.
M&CC Public Relations Officer, Debra Lewis, noted that the meeting was essentially aimed at engaging the vendors in a bid to sensitize them about the restoration project and what is expected of them as the council moves to implement aspects of it.
Lewis said that the long term arrangement to have the vendors removed from all main thoroughfares and street corners in Georgetown is in motion.
“This is a subject that is being discussed since illegal vending on the street corners and main thoroughfares is the key source of congestion,” Lewis explained.
She said that the Council has already considered a number of places to relocate these vendors. “We also have umbrellas and (types) of stands which will be available to the vendors so that they can continue their work in a decent manner.”
Lewis also disclosed that the Council is set to impose an environmental impact fee on those selling on the streets from October 1.
She said that $1000 weekly fee will be used for cleaning and maintenance of the environment, in which the vendors ply their trade.
Georgetown is home to hundreds of street vendors. But while the practice is illegal, it has been widely accepted as a norm by the general populace. In recent years, with an increasing number of vehicles being introduced to the roadways, vending on the pavements and street corners has become a hazard, hindrance to traffic and a form of congestion.
Regent Street and Water Street account for at least 400 of these persons, several of whom were present at City Hall yesterday.
The vendors echoed sentiments of being in support of the enhancement project and spoke of the need for better garbage disposal and restroom facilities. They seem to have welcomed the plan, with the prospect of having a better place to ply their trade.
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