Roadside vending at Leonora on Market Day

Sep 17, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Saturday is Market Day in Leonora on the West Coast Demerara. Although there is a long established market, it has been observed that more vendors are beginning to encroach on to the recently refurbished highway that was expanded to accommodate a pedestrian lane
When the vendors set up their stalls or sell directly from their vehicles, which they park fully or partially in the pedestrian lane, women and children who are usually ladened with their heavy purchases are forced to walk in the path of vehicular traffic. Cyclists are also endangered by this practice.
Given the fact that this market is located at a deep turn in the highway, this rapid increase in vending on the side of the highway and the blocking of the access roads leading to the market cause unnecessary congestion for vehicles and hardship for people exiting the market, many of whom are elderly folk. What is most annoying is that whilst these itinerant vendors are crowding the highway and access roads, the market itself is a virtual ghost town where dwindling number of regular vendors are required to pay the NDC every week. Many vendors occupy both sides of the single access bridge leaving a very narrow passageway for the customers. Some of these vendors are selling food products that are placed just a few inches off the ground on pallets.
Traffic ranks are usually present and do a commendable in monitoring the traffic and assisting persons to cross the highway but I have not noticed any attempt by them to prevent the blockage of the market access roads and pedestrian lane on the highway by vendors.
I hope that by highlighting this adverse situation in your newspapers, the authorities will feel compelled to take action or else if the appropriate steps are not taken now, the roadside vending will become a much more difficult problem to deal with later.

Best regards,
A. Kamal Hassan

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