Bandleaders who encourage their masqueraders to "mash up the stage" by overstaying their time will have points deducted and can also face disqualification. This was yesterday's warning from Sam Lewis, chairman of the Parade of the Bands Committee, during a media briefing held at Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain. He said as much as 20 points could be deducted by each judge if bandleaders failed to comply with the rules. "We know that sometimes in the heat of Carnival rules are ignored," he said.
"For the bandleaders, if they were to obey the rules that have been laid down with regard to the parade route, the time they stay or stage, how they conduct themselves and their bands, we would not have the 'lockjaw' that we know has plagued Carnival over the years," Lewis said. Saying that there was "a message going out that masqueraders should mash up the stage," Lewis warned that in trying to do so, he hoped masqueraders "don't live on the stage." Appealing to bandleaders to "think" about other bands waiting to cross the Savannah stage, Lewis said if discipline was exercised, then everyone would be able to enjoy themselves.
"They need to move along because every single masquerader wants to experience that 'back to the Savannah,'" he said. "As long as they are prepared to enjoy themselves, but think in terms of others, I think we should pass through the Queen's Park Savannah comfortably." Another issue he identified which created major problems on Carnival Monday and Tuesday was the blocking of routes by bands. "Some bands have a tendency to block the road although they are not ready to proceed...We are asking them to desist," Lewis said. Deduction of points, Lewis said, "depended on a number of things," including if the band refused to adhere to initial warnings.
'Zero tolerance on unsafe food'
Bandleaders who failed to ensure that food delivered to masqueraders was safe would have all their food trucks pulled off the road. Debra Lee-Persad, representative of the Health Department of the Port-of-Spain Corporation said that on Carnival Saturday, Monday and Tuesday health safety officers would be out on the streets conducting monitoring exercises in order to minimise any incidence of food-borne illnesses.
"We have a zero tolerance in public health...Food will thrown away or seized if we believe that the food is suspect and there is a time temperature abuse of the food," she said.
"The food has to have a four-hour window to be served. Lee-Persad said registration of food handlers had been ongoing from November 15, 2010, to date, with an average of 200 people a day. Lee-Persad said toilet facilities would also be monitored in mobile units at all all-inclusive bands. Nine toilet facilities site would be set up exclusively for masqueraders at various locations in and around Port-of-Spain, including Adam Smith, Lord Harris and Victoria Squares.
Time on stage
Time allotted for bands to cross the stage
Mini bands-five minutes
Small bands-15 minutes
Medium bands-30 minutes
Large bands (3,000 people)-one hour
Large bands (3,001-4,999 people)-One hour, 15 minutes
Large bands (5,000 people)-one hour, 30 minutes.
Parade route to be expanded
Chairman of the sub-committee of the Parade of the Bands Committee, Neville Wint, says there are plans to expand the Carnival route westward as east Port-of-Spain had reached its boundary. Wint was speaking at a media briefing with Carnival stakeholders at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Junior parade route
Starting at South Quay, turning left and North onto Broadway, and this year straight along Frederick Street into the Queen's Park Savannah.
Senior parade route
Starting at South Quay, north onto Broadway, bands desirous of going to Piccadilly Street will then turn right onto Independence Square south to Piccadilly Street extension, passing the Piccadilly Street judging point, proceeding to Charlotte Street. At Charlotte and Park Streets intersections the bands will then proceed west along Frederick Street and the north along Frederick Street into the Queen's Park Savannah.