Covered accommodation soon for Kingstown Market vendors

Vendors of vegetables and ground provisions who display their produce for sale on the concrete in Kingstown, often in sweltering heat, should be in covered accommodation in a matter of months, Minister of Transport and Works, Julian Francis has said.

The intention is to place them into facilities in the city as part of a EC$1.7 million project for the clean up of the capital city.

The unoccupied long room Customs building, which should accommodate between 84-90 vendors, and the old vegetable market that was damaged by hurricane Tomas and is to be rebuilt, are two of the facilities earmarked to house these vendors.

“I don’t like seeing people sitting down on the sidewalk, noted Francis as he also drew attention during his contribution to debate on the 2020 estimates of revenue and expenditure, to the attendant weather conditions faced by these vendors as they seek to make a living.

Contractors have begun to do some work on the transformation project, and, it is projected that in about three to four months, the buildings should be completed to allow for consultations with the vendors to take place.

Contributing last Wednesday February 5 to debate on the 2020 budget, Francis also spoke on the matter and stated categorically that he will be consulting with the vendors only when the buildings were ready for them to occupy.

“…Not going through that again” he said, reminding the Parliament that he has previously held consultations with vendors, but later, had nothing to offer.

“I not going to herald the vendors and bring them into a nice location, sit down, eat, drink and talk and next thing I ain’t got nowhere to put them, I done that three times already,” the Minister stated.

Francis issued an early invitation to the Central Kingstown Parliamentary Representative, to be part of the talks with the vendors when they get to that stage.