Port-of-Spain Mayor Raymond Tim Kee says the health of the 350,000 people who visit Port-of-Spain every week takes precedence over the concerns of vendors at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
At a press conference at his office, yesterday afternoon, Tim Kee responded to complaints from vendors that being required to temporarily vacate a section of the Savannah would cause them to lose their livelihood.
The vendors had complained to the T&T Guardian about what they said was a lack of consultation on Tim Kee’s part, in announcing that they would have to leave the paved part of the Savannah, opposite Memorial Park, for three to five weeks.
In this time the engineering department of the Port-of-Spain Borough Corporation will rid the area of large rats, which he said has infested the area.
The corporation is also expected to install running water for vendors and patrons and make toilet facilities available in the area.
While the Savannah is under the remit of the Ministry of Agriculture, Tim Kee said his corporation would be enforcing the law when it came to health in the city.
“We held a meeting with the agriculture ministry and we shared our concerns with them.
“Out of that meeting we reached an agreement that the vendors would have to leave in order for the place to be cleaned up and proper facilities put in place,” Tim Kee said.
He said people were underestimating the problem, and described the rats as “huge and well-fed.”
He said while rats would always be present in the city, the infestation, particularly at the Queen’s Park Savannah, was cause for worry.
He said the situation was dangerous and could result in poor health or even death.
“There is a sewer running underground in that area as well and some of the rats live in there,” Tim Kee said.
Once the upgrades were done to the area, Tim Kee said, there would be new rules for vending.
He said the place would require upkeep and vendors would have to pay a fee, and would be required to adhere to proper health standards.
The adherence to proper standards will also be insisted on throughout the Christmas and Carnival season.
Tim Kee said any vendors setting up in the capital city must ensure that their booths met high standards.
“It can’t be that they are pounding together some wood or some galvanise and expect that to be enough.”