Dear Editor,
I wish to bring attention to the very chaotic situation obtaining at the Stabroek Market vehicular park, as it affects the operations and livelihood of the vendors and stallholders there.
Some five weeks ago this park, whose primary function was to facilitate the off-loading and delivery of stallholders’ merchandise, customer parking and ancillary activities such as getting materials in and out for the building and repairing not only of stalls, but also the market itself, was without caution or consideration of the businesses therein, transformed into a massive minibus park. No place was apportioned for stallholders and/or customers/shoppers, and now they must contend with the repellent behaviour of drivers, conductors and touts which constitute a disincentive to would-be shoppers.
Stallholders must now park their vehicles four and five blocks away, often after driving around for forty-five minutes to secure permissible parking at added cost when goods are to be ferried from point to point. Much worse, however, is that potential customers, tourists and decent Guyanese are repelled from patronising this market as all and sundry are harangued, molested and subjected to the aggressive culture of the minibus hustlers.
The result is that businesses have suffered a forty per cent drop in income. As such businesses are on the point of sending home some staff which threatens the partial and eventual closure of this internationally recognized landmark.
Although this action was taken without any sort of consultation with vendors, every confidence exists that a meeting with the relevant ministerial authority responsible for this grievous oversight could lead to some reversal or reconsideration of this decision.
Yours faithfully,
Albert Lewis
Stallholder
