REPAIRS to Bourda Street in Georgetown will commence on November 1 and run until November 15, says Mayor and City Council (M&CC) Public Relations Officer, Ms  Debra Lewis.  Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle that 40 vendors from the said street went into City Hall on Tuesday to sign an agreement with Town Clerk Royston King that they will relocate during the period, but return as soon as the repairs are completed. And while some of the vendors will be allowed to sell on Robb Street in the meantime, Lewis said that more places will have to be provided to accommodate others.

The M&CC had said in the past that they were moving to construct stalls in Bourda Street similar to those outside the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), but Lewis has disclosed that the municipality is no longer pursuing this option at the moment.

The Bourda Street vendors were, however, urged to upgrade their stalls so that they can appear more pleasing to the eyes, as opposed to the terrible state that some of them are in currently.The Bourda Street vendors were, however, urged to upgrade their stalls so that they can appear more pleasing to the eyes, as opposed to the terrible state that some of them are in currently.

The M&CC had earlier said that it would allow these vendors a temporary space in front of the Bourda Market until the works have been completed, but Lewis said the municipality will no longer pursue that option.

According to her, the vendors have since complied, and have willingly expressed their desire to cooperate so that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, in collaboration with the M&CC, can complete the road.

Back in July 2015, King and senior M&CC officials had met with some 20 vendors who plied their trade on Bourda Street. The purpose of that meeting was to inform the vendors that they would no longer be allowed to do business there, because the Council was ready to go ahead with plans to demolish the Bedford School. The news was not welcomed by the vendors, but King explained that the situation was no longer tenable as the derelict building posed a threat to their very existence as well as to passers-by.

“The Bedford building has been in a state of disrepair for a number of years. The Council had issued a call for persons who have derelict structures to remove them, since they serve as a haven for criminal elements and persons of unsound mind. Also, these structures are an eyesore and pose a threat to the lives of the passers-by and occupiers of neighbouring buildings,” King had said.

“We cannot allow you to operate in an environment that will compromise your safety and health,” he said, adding that while the Council is cognisant of the socio-economic factors affecting citizens, vendors need to cooperate with the administration so that the relocation process can be a smooth one.