Vendors in downtown Port-of-Spain are complaining of the actions of the Port-of-Spain City Corporation in clamping down on them.
Hours after the vendors complained of the action during a T&T Police Service (TTPS) town meeting on the Brian Lara Promenade on Wednesday night, officers of the corporation’s independent police force held an exercise targeting illegal vending the next day.
In an interview, Bernadette Cornwall, a newspaper vendor, who has been operating at the corner of Henry Street and Independence Square for over 26 years, claimed she was unfairly targeted.
“I turn my back and they just pick up everything and throw everything in the back of the truck. If they had told me to move it, I would have,” Cornwall said.
Cornwall said because of the move she is not sure if she could continue selling over the weekend as she was now forced to pay a $1,150 in order to get back her stall, stool and unsold newspapers.
“Right now I’m stranded I have no money to buy papers in the morning,” she said.
She also claimed that in the past newspaper vendors were exempt from action taken against illegal vending.
Speaking at the meeting, president of the Downtown and Independence Square Vendors Association, O’Neil Benjamin questioned the release fee.
“They just seize our stuff and charge us this tax. It is not like they are locking us up and charging us for illegal vending,” Benjamin said.
Describing the fee as arbitrary, Benjamin said many times vendors refused to pay it as their items such as stands and coolers were not worth as much.
Head of the Port-of-Spain Division Senior Supt Floris Hodge-Griffith said she could not respond to the action and fee as it was within the purview of the corporation and its police force.
When contacted, Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez explained that the move was based on a decision by the corporation’s council to crack down on illegal vending.
“I don’t know what would have been the previous mayor’s position but vending in the city has gotten out of hand and we are trying to regulate it,” Martinez said.
He went on: “Order has to occur and we are trying to clean up the streets and make Port-of-Spain a better city. Yes we are going to tolerate some vending but at the same time, the vendors need to be mindful of that.”
Martinez stated that the Port-of-Spain Market had been renovated to accommodate additional vendors but many refused to relocate.
Responding to the fee for release of the vending apparatus, Martinez said it was another decision taken by the council.
“The fee is imposed by the corporation because there is a cost to the police in picking up the items and impounding the stuff. Just as with wrecking there is a fee, the council has imposed one for this,” he said.