October 15 deadline set for Santa Cruz street vendors to relocate to market

 

 

An October 15 deadline has been set for vendors plying their wares on the streets of Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth to desist from doing so.

 

Richard Solomon, Chairman of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, said letters have been sent to the affected vendors, while notices have also been posted in the town, informing them of the deadline.

 

Mr. Solomon said vendors who fail to comply and continue operating on the streets will face prosecution. 

 

"It is a partnership exercise that we are embarking on. The St. Elizabeth Municipal Officers along with the Jamaica Constabulary Force, we are in discussion with them and we will be embarking on a task force that will be going out there to maintain law and order. Failure to comply, persons will be ticketed as normal and prosecution will follow thereafter. It can't be business as usual as we have to maintain some law and order in our town spaces, our public spaces," he insisted.

 

Mr. Solomon said adequate spaces have been provided in the market for vendors to operate legally, as he urged both vendors and customers to cooperate.

 

"We would have done some work to the market facility. We would have rehabilitated the Main Street and as such we are now going to ensure that the vendors utilise the spaces provided. We would have marked out areas for customers to park. And I'm also appealing to our citizens to not purchase from persons who are vending along the road side. If everybody utilise the market space, everybody will benefit," he pleaded.