San Juan market vendors are complaining about the intolerable heat at the facility. The litany of woes they face also includes the times for opening and closing, and blocked entrances. Market hours are from 6 am to 6 pm, yet many vendors feel it should be 4 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 4 am to 1 pm on Sundays and public holidays. Although they were relocated to a $52 million state-of-the-art facility since May, construction works are still underway.
Vendor Lazania Hosein complained: "We tired talking. It's real hard to work. We stifling. It's like a furnace. Is pure heat."?Fellow vendors Stephen Charles, Nanda Permanand, Phillip John and Ria Samlal had similar complaints. They say they have resorted to using ice packs, frequent cold drinks and makeshift cardboard fans to cool down. They are angry at the authorities for not attending to their situation.
The vendors also said their pleas for help had not been heard by St Joseph MP Minister Herbert Volney. Another big complaint was the loss of income since operating hours at the market had not been regulated and illegal vendors blocked the entrances. "We have to pay about $200 and $250 for rent, yet people coming from Toco and Manzanilla and setting up their stalls outside. Customers not coming to us. It's not fair to us," Permanand said.
She showed petitions signed by both customers and vendors lobbying for better market hours. Sammy said: "We are losing income. Some of my customers now going to Tunapuna. If you expected to make about $800 a day, it is now about $500. You're losing $300." Vendor Ria Samlal said: "Imagine if electricity goes, we don't have a generator." Chairman of the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation Nafeesa Mohammed said she hoped to meet with relevant stakeholders by Wednesday.
"I?share their concerns but construction work is ongoing. There are still some problems. Until the third building is completed, the available space for vendors will be limited. That is a temporary arrangement.?The contractor is on site. We have to get the momentum going again."?
She added: "There will be a meeting to ensure the market is completed within time and within budget. There are some internal and external issues which need sorting out. "We will be meeting with managers, architects and Local Government, then I?will get back to the vendors. I?will make an effort to meet with them."
