Vendors who sell at the Mon Repos market, on the East Coast of Demerara, are unhappy with the arrangements made for their recent relocation from the Mon Repos Public Road to Agriculture Road by the area’s Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), which they say has since neglected them since.
Vendor Amanda Pollard stated that due to numerous issues regarding the relocation, they were promised a meeting so they can rectify the situation. “All the spots are filled and as a result people are on the road all over,” Pollard told Sunday Stabroek, while expressing her hope that the NDC will keep its promise of holding a meeting to discuss the issues.
Most vendors also complained that since their relocation, which was done in order to facilitate ongoing road works, they have seen a significant decrease in sales.
Sunita (only name given) moved to the market last week and noted that the decrease in sales might be due to the fact that most people are unaware that they have relocated. “I am not sure when we will get back our customers.” she related.
Another said that due to the constant changing of areas, their dedicated customers are no longer finding them and as a result, they purchase items from other vendors. “We really ain’t getting sales hay. We goods are perishable. We can’t even pass from the front to go down at the back. The NDC needs to organise the market properly. There are a number of ways [in] which the market can be affected due to weather conditions,” one visibly frustrated vendor stated
According to information gathered, since being relocated two weeks ago, vendors are still unable to access the washroom, which up to yesterday was closed when Sunday Stabroek visited. A number of vendors expressed dissatisfaction with the NDC, whose representatives they say only go to the market to collect fees. “Nobody ain’t coming out and telling us anything. They just coming to collect the money and go back. They not checking, it don’t seem like they care cause we been here two weeks and up to now the toilet can’t open,” said one vendor, who wished not to be named.
While many remained hopeful that the NDC will keep its promise to rectify the situation, some of the vendors who were designated spaces at the rear of the new location have taken it upon themselves to move to the front, despite the risk of discord with their peers and the health risks posed by ongoing construction works along the East Coast Demerara public road.
Some blamed ongoing strife among the vendors on the poor planning by the NDC.
It was noted that because of the dust from the road works, meat vendors were allotted spots at the back of the new location. However, after hearing that the relocation was improperly done, some subsequently moved to the front of the market, much to the chagrin of other vendors.
Joy Heyliger expressed her frustration with the meat vendors, saying, “Everybody should be in the area that they were given. Like they can’t see that the dust will go on their meat and that’s not very healthy.”
Another related that every time he goes to the market, he needs to find a new stall area because other vendors who would have arrived before him would take the area he was initially allocated.
However, one of the meat vendors, Imran Narine, said that he and others are taking all the necessary precautions as it relates to the hazards posed by the dust from the public road. Narine explained that after hearing from someone that the relocation process was deemed “null and void,” they decided to move to the front of the market because they weren’t getting any sales at the back. “We don’t like the meat spoiling itation, so we move to the front,” he stated. Narine noted that since they moved to the front, there has been an increase in sales.
He further stated that because of the current situation at the market, the NDC promised to hold a meeting to address those issues sometime during the course of next week. “So this is just a temporary situation,” he ended, hopeful.
Another vendor, Bibi Shameer, echoed his thoughts, while revealing that when they were at the back of the market she did not make a lot of money. “Last week I sell at the back and made $1,000. I had to come here fo get lil more than that,” she revealed. Shameer stated that the dust is not affecting them and if it were to affect them they would take the necessary precautions. “Our meat is spoiling and we need the front part of the market or else the meat will spoil. The market is very confusing. Everybody prefer the front,” she explained.
