East Ruimveldt Market repairs to start soon
The deplorable state of the roads leading to the market deters customers from entering the market
The deplorable state of the roads leading to the market deters customers from entering the market

GEORGETOWN Mayor Patricia Chase-Green announced on Monday that a contractor has now been identified to undertake rehabilitative works at the East Ruimveldt Market, and that materials have already started piling up at the site for the commencement of the work.

The market is being repaired with Government’s $24M subvention to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), although some councillors were not in agreement with diverting the entire sum to that market.

Nevertheless, a majority of them voted in favour of all the money going towards the project.

Councillor Trichria Richards

Constituency Councillor Trichria Richards told the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday, that the repair works will cost $14.5M, and that she has since requested that the remaining sum go towards upgrading the roads leading to the market, and some internal ones as well.
The works were awarded to JR Engineering Contracting Company, Richards disclosed, and that the timeframe for completion was given as six to eight weeks.

The councillor said vendors have been complaining that the deplorable state of the roads in the market is preventing customers, especially those with vehicles, from going there to shop.

The rehabilitative works, according to Richards, would include the sanitary blocks, revenue office, constabulary building and the construction of a gate and fence. The gate and fence are needed to tighten security at the market, and to allow for the opening and closing at specified times.

Describing it as the only drive-through market in the Caribbean, Richards had told this publication previously that the roads inside the market are expected to be done in partnership with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

The market houses more than 50 vendors, but many of the stalls are empty at the moment because drivers, especially, hesitate to use the roads inside.

Councillors, earlier this year, voted 13 in favour of the proposal to use the funds on the marketplace, while seven voted against, and one councillor abstained from the vote.
The East Ruimveldt Market, located on Vlissengen Road and the East Ruimveldt Front Road, was built by the City Council in 1978.

The market at one time housed approximately 200 vending stalls, three public restrooms, and a City Constabulary office, and was said to have been attracting 2,000 customers daily.
In 2016, repairs to the market’s main entrance commenced, which allowed for easier access to vehicular traffic.

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan had paid a visit late last year to the constituency to look at drainage issues affecting the area.

There, Councillor Richards requested financial help for upgrading the market and the ministry subsequently wrote the City Council asking that some of the subvention money be allocated to works there.

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