50 vendors allocated spaces on new Plaisance Market tarmac

Fifty vendors from Plaisance Market along the East Coast Demerara corridor now have an alternative location to conduct their business operations.

A new tarmac was made available to vendors and it can easily accommodate 69 stalls with greater public accessibility.  

The move is part of a commitment made by Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, after vendors were required to relocate due to the construction of the four-lane highway from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau along the railway embankment. 

Celestine Blackman is one of the vendors who says she is grateful for the new location on the tarmac.

“Because it is more uniform…I sell [ground] provisions and fruits. My granddaughter sells fruit juice,” Blackman told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Another vendor, Mbekia X, welcomed the government’s initiative and said she was pleased to have a spot to conduct her business.

X added, “I appreciate the fact that they [government] have made accommodations for those who normally sell during the course of the week. At first, we were a bit concerned as it relates to what would happen to those who ply their trade on a day-to-day basis.”

During an engagement with vendors on Tuesday afternoon, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, stated that the government has taken a comprehensive approach to guarantee a seamless relocation process.

He said that even though some developments may cause inconveniences, the government continues to work to curtail any problems that may arise while maintaining a consultative form of governance.

Minister Edghill explained that “while we bring development and we expand infrastructure, we will not stifle economic opportunities…If people have to be displaced or relocated, it must be done in a manner that ensures that their livelihoods are not interrupted.”

All vendors must relocate to their designated spaces on the tarmac by Friday afternoon in order to prevent costly delays.

“When a contractor gets a job and [it] isn’t finished by a certain time, he is penalised on a daily rate…The government will also have to pay him on a daily rate when he goes over his contract time. That is one of the reasons why we had to get [this] fixed,” Minister Edghill explained.

The minister said that six lights will be strategically placed along the tarmac for security purposes.

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