–market to be equipped with cameras, other safety measures to be employed as Region Three continues to get more vibrant

By Bebi Shafeah Oosman

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that by the end of the year, the Leonora Market on the West Coast Demerara will be outfitted with a surveillance system to ensure 24-hour monitoring.
This crucial upgrade comes as major rehabilitation works continue at the market, enhancing both security and overall safety for vendors and shoppers alike. The new system is part of a broader effort to improve public safety, and provide a secure environment for vendors to thrive.

President Ali, who met with vendors on Friday night, stated that he wants the location to be “a safe, pleasurable shopping experience for people when they come, and we want this to be a safe environment for all of those that are shopping here”.

Noting the government’s interest in working together to develop the market, the President said, “As we work together to develop this facility, you will see that on Friday nights you will have shopping out here; you will see the shopping hour and the market hour will expand naturally, because once people feel safe, once there are good parking facilities around…”

The Head of State then tasked the Regional Commander with ensuring that there are security systems around the market by Monday, however, further boosting the security measures the President announced, “We are going to put cameras in the market so that we will have full electronic monitoring of everything in the market, so you have a safe environment.”

Turning to the structure itself, the President noted that there are other facilities around the location that have to be removed “and extend the market facilities itself”.
Given that the road vendors will move into the market, the President pointed out that they now have the opportunity to “pull down the front and rehabilitate the front of the market”.

According to the President, works will commence tomorrow on the 16-foot road, with concrete drains on both sides and a bridge will be completed.
“We will get the opportunity to finish the bridge; we will get the opportunity to finish the road, and vendors will come in here.”
He advised, however, that the new venture would take time to get used to, as he urged vendors and shoppers to care the facilities.

“And the market committee, we are not going to take nonsense from you guys; we are not going to take nonsense from the committee. I have that said if the committee is not functioning, put a new committee in,” President Ali said.

The President stressed that before the end of the year, the road, bridge and the implementation of the camera system will be done. “You will continue to see improvements. Before the end of the year, you will see the road, you will see the bridge, the camera system put in,” he said.

Additionally, the Head of State said he instructed that a decision be made on a location for the construction of a shed with hammocks and bathroom facilities, “so that when you come overnight, you can have hammocks, you can have five, six showers that you can go shower.”

He told the vendors and farmers gathered, “We want you to have higher quality; we want you to have better quality, we want the farmers to have better conditions.”
According to the President, a large sum was expended on improvements at the market so as to ensure shoppers and vendors could operate in a clean environment shopping with “dignity and pride.”
He also pledged assistance to rebuild tables.

“Where there is help that you need to build back your table, we are going to help you build back your table, so that you have your table… If there is a need for more standpipes around, we will put more standpipes, so as we move and we see there is a need for more things, we will put those things. This is a work in progress; this is a big work in progress.”

He requested that there be a collaborative effort, going forward, with the police, minister and local leaders “to work through the problems together.”