Displaced Port-of-Spain Market vendors blocked off vehicular access to the facility and caused a massive traffic gridlock during a protest yesterday.
The protest occurred after vendors were told a large chunk of their vending space was to be used to house equipment for the construction of a nearby walkover for the Sea Lots community.
Around 8 am, about 100 vendors gathered at the entrance of the market demanding a meeting with Mayor Joel Martinez.
Shivan Baboolal, proprietor of Yum Yum Foods, said it was only on Saturday that they got notice they were to be removed from a section of the market.
“There was no discussion and consultation with us. When we came here to vend this morning (yesterday), a large section of the market where we usually sell was blocked off. This is unfair to us because it is poor people who come to the market to sell,” Baboolal said.
He said vendors who paid $200 a month were allotted a new space, but some daily paid vendors who paid $29 a day to sell were not.
“They are making another portion of the market available but there are no car park facilities and it is unsafe for us to sell there,” Baboolal said.
He added that robberies were frequent at the market and there was no proper security.
“Who going to come in that area with $20,000 to buy goods? We cannot go to vend in that section,” Baboolal added.
He said the market was a free market unlike Macoya which was already full.
“We have about 400 poor people vending in the Port-of-Spain Market and not having a space to sell is going to affect dozens of families,” he said.
Sham Harrilal, who has been selling in the market for about 40 years, said he was also concerned about security.
“There are many vendors who get robbed here and if we have to relocate to that other section we will be at risk,” he said.
Mawalal Sookdeo added that the new arrangements were very unfair.
“They have not given us a location as yet. They want to block off the area. We have no problem with the walkover, but why are they housing the equipment on our space? They will block off plenty of our sales,” Sookdeo noted.
Saying farmers and vendors were facing too much stress, Sookdeo said corporation officials should immediately meet with them to discuss alternative accommodation for the equipment.
“There is a big empty piece of lot where TSTT used to house their poles. Why don’t put it there? With all of that, why use the big area?”
Contacted yesterday, Martinez said he met with the vendors yesterday and advised the wholesalers that another section of the market would be made available to them. He also made a commitment to increase security.
Asked why the vendors only received notice of the move on Saturday, Martinez said: “I am not in charge of that project. It is Project Pride, which is being done through the Ministry of Works.”
He said the walkover s a single stand unit which runs from one side to the other to offer protection for the people of Sea Lots.
“The footing falls within the market precincts so they have to construct it in the market,” Martinez said.
Saying progress always brought disruption, Martinez said he was committed to making a secure alternative accommodation for the displaced vendors.