By Alva Solomon

PARLIAMENT-view vendors are likely to face expulsion from the old Royal Castle site on Hadfield Street as the owner of the property is expected to fence and carry out works at the end of the three-month City Hall agreement, which ends in August, sources say.However, this is contrary to the optimistic views expressed by Town Clerk, Royston King who informed the Mayor and City Council during last Monday’s statutory meeting that the vendors’ stay at the property may be extended.

“We are likely to get an additional three months from the owner of the plot of land south of parliament building”, King told the council last Monday.

This newspaper understands that the property, which is owned by businessman Paul Daby, will be fenced and the owner is likely to go ahead with infrastructural works at the site when the three-month agreement ends in August. Mandela Avenue businessman, Hareshnarine Sugrim is handling matters relative to the property on behalf of Daby.

At last Monday’s meeting, King asked that the council formulate an alternative location after the three months because the administration of the municipality “won’t be looking at this.”
“If council does not come up with a policy, the admin will not formulate any,” King said.

NO VENDING POLICY
He deemed the situation as being of a serious nature, compounded by the absence of a vending policy. The Markets Committee took note at the meeting and promised to have an alternative in place before the end of the three-month deadline. However, the issue of an alternative venue for the vendors remains unfulfilled.

The vendors, who were displaced from the area outside the Stabroek Market at the beginning of May, were relocated to the site opposite the Linden Bus Park as the Georgetown Municipality forges ahead with plans to restore and preserve the splendor of the iconic Stabroek Market Square.

Approximately 150 displaced vendors were relocated to the site early in May, under the temporary arrangement made with the owner of the property. The venue was resurfaced and provision of washrooms and waste compactors, installation of lights and the provision of security were among the added initiatives undertaken. The council also procured 150 tents to house the vendors.

An estimated 300 vendors operated various services, including bread stands, mobile phone card stands and dry goods and perishables, and were affected by the relocation, which they had initially agreed to during a meeting with City Hall officials late in April.

In addition, several minibus parks, including Routes 41, 45, 46 and 48, were shifted from the Stabroek area.