AFTER a lengthy Court procedure and many implications and problems, the issue of illegal roadside vendors in Georgetown will be addressed very soon, as the sellers need to be removed at the earliest. This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker.
He said, after the ruling of two High Court judges, a firm decision must be made to remove these persons, who vend illegally, especially on Regent and Water Streets in Georgetown.
Whittaker was speaking yesterday at the handing over ceremony of a brand new garbage truck and two matching compactors, to Mayor Hamilton Green, for the City Council, at Muneshwar’s Wharf on Water Street.
The minister asserted that the Local Government Ministry is mindful of the fact that those vendors see the business as their source of income.
However, the ministry is also mindful of the legitimate market stallholders who pay their taxes to vend and the illegal vendors who would, usually, come and obstruct the atmosphere.
He stated, further, that the illegal roadside sellers are the main causes of road blockages, as they impede traffic and interfere with pedestrians on the sidewalks and street corners daily.
Whittaker also reiterated what the Acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba told the media, last week, that the illegal roadside vendors are the main causes of garbage pile-up on the city street corners.
Sooba had indicated that all measures will be put in place, very soon, to move and relocate those vendors, so as to avoid all the confusion in the city.
Whittaker noted that illegal roadside vending has existed for more than 10 years now and the Mayor is claiming that to blame the vendors for the situation is not right.
The minister assured that the vendors will be relocated to bring peace to the general public, not just in Georgetown, but countrywide.

INVESTED MILLIONS
Regarding the illegal roadside vendors in all parts of the country, the Government has invested millions of dollars to construct tarmacs in areas such as Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara; Enmore and Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, among others he pointed out.
Whittaker said the responsible Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) are being engaged and officials will soon be moving to relocate these vendors to places where they will be less of a nuisance to the general public.
But Mayor Green said, to remove the vendors from their positions, just like that, would be looked at as a lack of understanding of their situation.
He said it is a very serious social issue and the High Court ruling has not simplified it in relation to the socio-economic perspective of the vendors’ means of earning bread for their families.