A backwater country with first-world resources

Mar 03, 2026 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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(Kaieteur News) – The debate over markets in Guyana is not a small or petty matter. It goes to the heart of what kind of country we want to build. Do we want a modern nation with order, safety and efficiency? Or do we want to cling to habits that keep us stuck in traffic, chaos and confusion?

When the government decided to rebuild the Mon Repos Market instead of relocating it, that decision said a lot. The market sits directly along a busy public road on the East Coast. For years it was an eyesore. Stalls spilled onto the roadside. Minibuses stopped abruptly. Cars swerved. Pedestrians darted between vehicles. The entire stretch became a chokehold.

Rebuilding the same structure in the same place was never going to solve that problem. A new coat or sturdier structure of paint cannot cure bad planning and a poor location. Even now, congestion remains. Vendors still operate outside the market. Traffic still slows to a crawl. The danger is still there.

This is not only about one location. Across the country, several markets are planted right next to main roadways, creating the same pattern of disorder. The Leonora Market showed that another way is possible. It has been moved further inside the village. Traffic flows more freely. There is space. There is breathing room. At Parika, the market sits near a busy junction and stelling. Vehicles, trucks and speedboats all converge. Add roadside vending and the result is confusion and congestion.

La Penitence is another example. The market presses against the roadway. Vendors extend outward. This is a busy road. Not a place for a market. Lusignan now has a new shed. But the shed does not fix the central issue. If the market is too close to the public road, the same problem besetting Mon Repos will reproduce itself. In Berbice, Bath Settlement, Port Mourant and Corriverton face similar conditions. Markets sit too close to major roads. Stalls spill out. Parking is scarce. Traffic backs up.

The pattern is clear. When markets are placed along main arteries, disorder follows. It is not because vendors are bad people. It is not because customers are careless. It is because the physical design encourages chaos. The solution is bold but simple. Move markets away from the main public roads. Shift them further inland. Acquire land. Build proper structures. Provide adequate parking. Allow only registered vendors inside the market compound. Prohibit illegal roadside vending.

But relocation alone is not enough. The new markets must be modern. They must operate like shopping malls. Think about how malls function. They open at fixed hours. They close at fixed hours. Vendors operate inside a clean, organized building. There are proper washrooms. There is security. There is lighting. There is garbage disposal. There is parking. Customers can shop in comfort. Why should our municipal and village markets not operate the same way?

A modern market complex could have sections for meat, fish, vegetables and dry goods. It could have cold storage facilities. It could have proper drainage. It could have loading bays at the back so trucks do not block the public road. It could have security cameras. It could have fire safety systems. This is not beyond our reach. Guyana now earns billions from oil and gas. We speak proudly of first-world revenues. But first-world income demands first-world planning. Right now, too many of our markets look like they belong to another era. They reflect a village mindset in a country that claims to be on the brink of transformation.

If we continue to tolerate roadside vending along highways, we will continue to tolerate traffic jams. If we continue to build markets pressed against roadways, we will continue to see accidents. If we continue to allow disorder, we will continue to look disorderly.

Some will argue that moving markets will inconvenience vendors. But proper planning would include consultation, compensation where necessary, and clear timelines. Vendors benefit from safe, clean environments too. Customers prefer organized spaces. Order helps business. The deeper issue is vision. Modern cities do not place their main markets in the middle of busy highways. They design commercial zones. They separate heavy traffic from pedestrian activity. They think long term.

Guyana can use its new wealth to redesign our towns and villages with intelligence and courage. Or we can patch up old problems and pretend that cosmetic upgrades equal progress. Markets should be centres of commerce and community, not bottlenecks of congestion. They should symbolize growth, not stagnation. If we truly want to become a modern country, we must plan like one. That means relocating markets from main roads, building modern enclosed facilities, enforcing rules, and ending roadside vending along highways. Without that vision, we risk remaining what we have long been: a backwater country sitting on first-world resources, unable to match our physical development with the discipline and order that true progress demands.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• backwater country, debate, first-world, Peeping Tom, resources

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