LOOKING to clear themselves of liability, the Georgetown Mayor and City (MCC) on Sunday, through advertisements in the daily newspapers issued a public warning and disclaimer against persons being at the Stabroek Market wharf, which is in danger of collapsing.

The MCC, for some weeks now, has been working towards removing all vendors from the area, which “the city engineer has certified… is unfit for human occupation and/or business.”

“The council disclaims any liability for any loss, damage, injury, death to anyone defying this warning. This warning remains in effect until further notice. Further notice like this will be published in the newspaper. This notice takes immediate effect upon publication,” the missive informed.

Previously, the vendors were served with notices informing them that they had 14 days during which to remove from the area, “because of the threat to life and limb.” The 14 days ended last Wednesday, September 12.

On that day, the council took action to limit the vendors’ activities by cordoning off certain sections of the wharf.

“The safety and well-being of our stallholders are our highest priority. The entire wharf will be closed to the public within the next week. This is being done to protect the lives of those who ply their trade on that wharf, which has collapsed on two occasions; the wharf is in a calamitous state. No one, who is not a stallholder, would be allowed to linger at that facility. The situation is life-threatening,” Town Clerk Royston King said last week.

A total of 89 vendors was operating on the wharf, the majority vending perishable goods. In addition, citizens who are supporting the vendors are also endangering their lives when they go to the wharf to purchase, the town clerk said.

Until the wharf could be repaired, the vendors from that area were expected to move to another section of the Stabroek Market Square, previously utilised as the 42 bus park, to accommodate the vendors.

However, works are still ongoing at the area and it is not yet ready for the vendors.
According to City Engineer Colvern Venture, consultations are still ongoing for the construction of the new wharf and recently, the council signed on to a document from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure for the first phase of that project to commence.

“So the first phase that was recently signed off on were the actual studies to be carried out on the wharf facilities. That study will be taken into consideration, modernising the facility in such a way that it is more of a tourist attraction,” Venture said.

This phase is expected to last eight months, he said.

In addition to relocating the vendors, the town clerk shared that the office of the clerk of markets has been relocated from the wharf to the upper floor of the Kitty Market.