Queen Street vendors are appealing to Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez to give them a chance to sell their goods on the streets of the capital city for this Christmas season.
Since Saturday, vendors said they have been targeted by Municipal Police. Their goods were seized and several have been arrested.
Around noon yesterday, Municipal police swooped down on Queen Street and arrested several vendors and seized their goods.
One vendor who did not want to be identified said in the weeks leading up to the Local Government Election (LGE) vendors were made to register to sell on the streets but after the election, they heard nothing else from city Corporation officials.
“That seven/seven hit them hard and they taking it out on us,” she said, referring to the results of the LGE. “All of a sudden, they harassing us when we selling, that (result) did not have anything to do with we, we just out here trying to make a dollar for the Christmas.”
Vendor David Nedd said he was fined $900 by a Port-of-Spain Magistrate on Monday for illegally vending. Nedd said it was the first time in his 13-year history of selling on the streets that he was ever arrested. “I know I hear the Mayor say from Saturday we could sell on the streets, I even tell the Magistrate that in court but when poor people talk, nobody does care to listen,” Nedd said.
When Guardian Media spoke to him, Nedd showed the empty table still in the roadway where he said his goods are usually displayed.
He said it was unfair that street vendors were allowed to operate on other streets in the capital while Queen Street vendors were being prosecuted.
“Charlotte Street has a programme, why not give Queen Street a part of their programme, at least we would have somewhere to sell. We need it too, Queen Street is also a street with vendors on it. We would pay for it, you don’t want us to put up a massive stall, we have no problem with that,” Nedd said.
When contacted by Guardian Media yesterday, Mayor Martinez said he was unaware of the issue until he was told by this reporter.
He said a registration process was started before the LGE but it was disrupted by the election.
“I wasn’t aware that anyone was charged or picked up, I will investigate this. I do want to encourage seasonal vending but we were unable to complete our registration process,” Martinez said.
He said he will need to convene a “round-robin” of the council to address this issue but he could not say when that would be.
“There are many things going on in the city right now and I may be hard-pressed to give a timeline because you only just informed me, for me to rush and gather information to facilitate someone who may have been doing wrong…It would require it is properly investigated before any decision can be made.”
Martinez said the matter is voted on by the council, he will send out a press release to inform the public.
Meanwhile, attorney Richard Jagessar reached out to Guardian Media yesterday, to make contact with the vendors to assist them.
Jagessar said the city corporation can protect its burgesses via bye-laws, in this case, that would mean a simple adjustment to the regular rule temporarily permitting vendors to sell goods on Queen Street.
Jagessar said given their history of vending on Queen Street, the vendors have a legitimate expectation not to be removed without proper process and legal notice.
Jagessar said he will contact Nedd to offer his services on Friday evening.