M&CC commences road works in Bourda street

DPI, Georgetown, Guyana, Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The Mayor and City Council today commenced preparations for the rehabilitation of Bourda Street, which is currently in a deplorable state. The repairs are a collaborative effort between the Mayor and City Council and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and is expected to be completed within three weeks.

Town Clerk Royston King, was on site today, and said described the work as vital. “We must do the road. It is part of our responsibility as the city government and so we are pushing ahead to get this road done. We want to do it before the rains for the festive season and also to give the vendors a chance to come back into operation before the festive season so that they can at least do business during that period”, he stated.

According to the Town Clerk, unlike in the past, the vendors have agreed to cooperate with the process, since their operations will only be temporarily disrupted. He added that the council is pleased with the vendors’ willingness to allow the works be carried out in a peaceful manner.

Up to press time, the M&CC were providing assistance to the Bourda Street vendors, to move their stalls to the western pavement to facilitate work. However, once the road is completed, King pointed out the vendors will not be allowed to use the stalls which they are currently occupying.

He explained that they would be required to build new stalls with M&CC’s guidance, as it relates to their dimensions, such as height and width. King explained, “We do not want this portion of the city to look like a shanty town. That is why we want to have a standard prototype stall that would allow this particular area to not only attract Guyanese but also to attract foreigners and people who are coming to tour this part of the world.”

Additionally, once the stalls are upgraded, the vendors will be expected to pay increased taxes to the council. The money will to go towards providing extra security, lights, water and other services to ensure they have a comfortable business environment.

 

By: Isaiah Braithwaite