By Telesha Ramnarine

A TEAM from the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), including Town Clerk Royston King and Chief Constable Andrew Foo, yesterday swooped down on business owners at Industrial Site, Georgetown, determined to prove true to the 48-hour ultimatum that they had given the businesses earlier this week. The businesses, including Distribution Services Limited (DSL), E-Networks and Guytrac, were warned to remove derelict vehicles, containers and trailers belonging to them that were occupying space belonging to the City Council.
There had been some amount of compliance following verbal warnings from the Council, as well as from a report carried on the front page of one newspaper, as the businesses removed some of their trailers by the time the team arrived on the scene yesterday.
However, the Town Clerk was adamant that those which remained on the site had to be removed immediately yesterday. Again, some businesses complied and began removing what belonged to them.
The City Council also hired contractors, who turned up with a welding torch and allied equipment, to cut up in manageable sizes those derelict vehicles that were on their parapets and thoroughfares.
A piece of land owned by the City Council, located in the center of Industrial Site, and known as the ‘Island,’ had been illegally fenced off by the business owners. As this area was being cleared yesterday, it was observed that a ‘junkie’ crawled out from one of the derelict vehicles/containers and persons in the area made fun of the fact that he was now homeless.
On this note, King told this newspaper, in an invited comment on the scene, that the containers were also being used as seclusion zones for people who were perhaps intent on carrying out criminal activities. “And we cannot accept that. It is unfair and therefore we are taking action.”
This newspaper observed that at least two business owners came out to chat with the Town Clerk and gave the undertaking that those vehicles belonging to them would be removed. They requested some more time, and the City Council subsequently gave an additional 24 hours.
“E-Networks has given the undertaking that by tomorrow (today), before 10 am, their container will be removed. On the Island is Guytrac, and they too have given the undertaking that they will move their stuff,” Chief Constable Foo told the Chronicle.
“We have been through this area since Monday and a number of persons claimed they did not know who owned the trailers and containers. Surprisingly, this morning, we have seen some amount of compliance because this entire area was filled with trailers, but those trailers are no longer here,” Foo observed.
He continued: “Other persons are complying as we are on the ground. The entire area was taken up. Companies brought their trailers once there was no space at the ports and parked them here in a haphazard manner. This is not a situation that the City is prepared to continue. We want to ensure that this area is clean, in keeping with other parts of the City.”
Meanwhile, the Town Clerk said the exercise yesterday was really about reclaiming legitimate city space for all the citizens of Georgetown and to curb a very high level of indiscipline that continues to permeate the society.
“These containers, trailers and derelict vehicles have been here for ages and we have repeatedly asked owners to remove them and they have refused to comply. We are now moving to cut them up in manageable sizes. Some business owners have asked for additional 24 hours, we have granted that time, but we would like to have all these containers and trailers removed from this area and never to be returned. We are very serious about what we are doing as a City. We have to begin to show a high level of discipline, respect and regard for the general environment and our neighbours.”
King said the team was there because the City Council wants to ensure that it is fulfilling its mandate and is doing what citizens are paying it to do, which is to ensure that the environment is healthy and safe.
Commenting on the 48-hour ultimatum that had been issued, King said he believes that was sufficient warning time as the containers were parked there for ages. “There’s absolutely no reason, save and except for a high level of indiscipline and disrespect, why these derelicts were allowed to remain. You would notice that our very presence here is causing those who could not get into action for ages to get into action. We had members of the Constabulary visiting and warning them verbally and we had at least one report in the newspaper. We also asked them repeatedly in the past.”
King further offered that the environment for those toddlers who attended the city’s daycare, was completely unhealthy for them. “And I am very surprised that big businesses are not particularly interested in the welfare and health of our children and those who frequent our daycare.”
On Tuesday, King told this newspaper that the containers and trailers in question were parked in a manner that was dangerous to life and limb. He also expressed concern that the frequent movement of the trailers destroyed the roads, causing depression, which in turn leads to accumulation of water and other environmental issues.
The Town Clerk observed that the trailers also gave off radioactive emissions which were not healthy to those children and parents of the daycare, as well as all others who were in the area.