MEMBERS of the public desirous of vending or picnicking along the route of the Mashramani Float Parade, on February 23, can go into the Mayor and City Council (MCC) beginning Thursday, February 7, 2019, to pay the necessary fee and be allocated a spot.
At a press meeting held on Monday, February 4, 2019, MCC Deputy Director of Solid Waste Management, Floyd Rollins, informed the public that over 1000 designated spots were available. The spots are 10 feet x 10 feet, and, for vendors, the fee would range from $10,000 to $25000, depending on the location of the spot. However, for picnicking, it would be $5000 per spot.
This year, the Mashramani Float Parade route has been extended: – beginning at Camp Road and Carifesta Avenue, proceeding east along Carifesta Avenue, then south into Vlissengen Road and ending at Durban Park.
“Based on the route, we have already identified areas that will be allocated for vendors and those areas are on the southern carriageway of Carifesta Avenue. On Irving Street, both sides of the road from Carifesta Avenue to Church Street will be used for vending. Also the Square of the Revolution and inside of Durban Park will be allowed for vendors,” Rollins explained
“We’ve also made some adjustments for persons who would be providing kids games and selling toys and so forth. We would be offering flexible prices to them for them to come out and earn a living,” Rollins relayed.
There will, however, be several areas where vending will not be allowed.
“Places vending will be prohibited are on the northern carriageway of Carifesta Avenue, on Vlissengen Road from Carifesta Avenue straight up to Hadfield Street there’s no vending allowed there, picnicking or parking of vehicles. Along Homestretch Avenue once again no vending or picnicking or parking of vehicles will be allowed,” Rollins said.
Rollins noted that persons who pay for a picnicking spot and are caught vending at the location will be made to pay the difference in the fee for the spot. MCC revenue officers will be policing the route and persons will be required to produce their receipts for the spots they occupy.
Those persons vending are asked to make garbage receptacles available at their allocated spot to help with the garbage collection along the route.
On the issue of the MCC’s clean-up plan, Rollins shared that a plan was in place to have a cleaning crew in place at the end of the parade.
“For cleaning of the route, we’re in discussion with the Ministry of the Presidency, Department of Social Cohesion. Last year the MCC would have undertaken that task whereby we started to clean after the last float would have started off.
We went behind that float and started to clean the road and the next morning we would’ve done a revisit to the area and removed any waste that would have been found, we would have advised that that be done again and we’re engaging the ministry to have that finalised,” Rollins said.
Rollins said the MCC will also be looking to have their own garbage receptacles placed along the route.
