A meeting yesterday with music cart vendors and owners, hosted by Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee and Public Works and Transport Minister Robeson Benn, resulted in formation of a committee to iron out issues relative to noise nuisance and encumbering the roadways in the city.

A prototype of the model of music cart was showcased, and a demonstration was done at St. Stanislaus College on Brickdam, Georgetown.
Views and concerns were expressed by both the music cart vendors and owners and by the government.
Minister Rohee said the forum was called as a follow-up to the meeting held with former President Bharrat Jagdeo some time ago, in an effort to regularise and restore law and order concerning music cart vending in the city. He said the Home Affairs Ministry (MoHA) had, and continues to receive, many complaints regarding music cart vendors obstructing traffic and blaring music, among other transgressions; and that, following several meetings, the Commission on Law and Order had forwarded several recommendations to the MoHA, which are now being acted upon, hence the ministry was meeting was the music cart vendors and operators to continue dialogue on the way forward regarding the issue.
Minister Rohee said government does not want to put anybody out of business, but people must vend in an orderly manner. As such, music carts will be regularised, licensed to operate, and located at a designated spot for vending, which will be announced once determined. He said earphones must be installed and used, and there must be a list of songs for CDs and names of movies and music videos etc.
Public Works and Transport Minister, Robeson Benn introduced the prototype of music cart yesterday via his engineer, who said that it comes with speakers, television, and storage area for displaying CDs and DVDs, among other things; and that it costs more than $200,000.
He explained that the desired model of music cart has wheels and was made similar to the ones used in Trinidad and Tobago. The carts can be modified to suit the local music cart operators.
He pointed out that music cart vending causes congestion in the city, and impedes the free flow of traffic. It creates a host of issues and the government would like to have some form of order in the way they operate.
However, the music cart vendors expressed several concerns, for example, that the model of music cart displayed did not have sufficient storage capacity, would require a shed over it, and they would need time to remodel their music carts.
Some cart vendors were upset at the answers they received to their questions, but Minister Benn was resolved that music cart vending as currently obtains cannot continue. He said the vendors and owners should cooperate with the authorities to sustain their business, and added that the way the music cart vendors operate is insubordinate, and the government would not allow it to continue.
The vendors asked about the time frame for the remodelling of their music carts and to address the other issues. Several contended that installation of ear phones was unworkable, since customers make purchases based on the music being played. Others said it was too costly to remodel their music carts, and they would need time to do so.
As the meeting ended, five persons were selected for the committee which would make representation on behalf of the music cart vendors in a subsequent meeting with the MoHA.
Haji Roshan Khan, a member of the Commission on Law and Order, yesterday urged the music cart operators to cooperate with the authorities to make the change, which is necessary for law and order to prevail.
In brief remarks, Assistant Commissioner, George Vyphuis said music cart vending in the city is unhealthy for road users, since it causes problems with traffic and noise nuisance. He said it has to be regularized, and he asked that vendors/operators cooperate.