Officials from the Port-of-Spain City Corporation, Housing Ministry and Urban Development Corporation of T&T (Udecott) will meet this afternoon with Salvatori site vendors on a “Plan B” alternative relocation site at Independence Square.
This, after vendors recently rejected the Corporation’s initial offer of a South Quay location and expressed anger at the Government and Corporation.
Corporation workers began erecting a wooden and galvanised fence around the Salvatori site yesterday. Some vendors began shifting their stocks, in preparation for today’s handover of the building to Udecott, which had initially given a February 14, deadline. The processs was monitored by several police officers at the site.
While some vendors have completely removed from the site, others were still there up to yesterday afternoon as corporation workers began erecting the fence from Frederick Street side.
Port-of-Spain mayor Keron Valentine, also met with vendors yesterday. Prior to Valentine’s arrival, one vendor, Ermine Joseph, who said she lives in Laventille West, said, “We want to see the honourable Prime Minister right now. Why he wouldn’t come and see small business people like us? We need to see the Prime Minister with all that is going on with us. I begging the Prime Minister to do something for us. Don’t break our booths,” she pleaded.
“Dr Rowley, reach out to us, please. We reaching out to you,” she cried.
“He could at least do that for us, we voted for him, I walk in the rain to campaign for (Laventille/West’s Fitzgerald) Hinds but we not seeing him or anybody coming to our rescue now. Please, Dr Rowley do something for us,” Joseph said.
Jude White and other vendors agreed, pointing to the recession and their bid to “make an honest living”.
When Valentine arrived, another vendor Steve Fletcher told him: “We know it’s a heavy load you take up. Don’t see us (as) trying to chastise you for people’s mistake, is only our bread and butter we’re trying to save. We’re trying to abide with the rules even though they harsh. You have a way to make a dollar and we have our own, all we ask is to help us make a fair deal.”
“We visited the South Quay site and were told it will be ready next week. Last night a man got stabbed there, higher up another one died. So we ask you do to something as fast as possible. We know it’s a large cake and everybody have to eat out of it and we don’t want to get the crumbs.”
Valentine told them he’d spoken with Housing Minister Marlene McDonald and was inviting them to today’s emergency meeting with her and Udecott chairman Noel Garcia to discuss the “Plan B” relocation site.
That area is in a building next to the Drag Brother’s New City Mall. It’s near the corner of Henry Street and Independence Square (south) and is obliquely opposite to their Salvatori location on Independence Square (north).
Valentine, however, advised them to remove their stock since corporation crews were erecting the fence around the site and the building has to be handed over today.
“But we won’t be throwing out any of your stock or damaging it or confiscating it. Security will be here round the clock,” he assured.
Keron Valentine
Fletcher, Joseph and others said they’d attend the meeting.