A huge section of the roadway leading to Chapelton in Clarendon broke away as a result of the heavy rainfall over the past two days. -Norman Grindley photoTrudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
KINGSTON AND St. Andrew Corpor-ation (KSAC) authorities served notices on vendors downtown Kingston yesterday to move into designated vending areas as a prelude to today's concerted effort to remove stalls erected in front of the Kingston Parish Church and other areas in south Parade.
The KSAC has also called in the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the police and the National Waste Management Authority to take down stalls and scour and disinfect the area today.
"We're going to remove stalls and clean the unsightly area. We're starting there and taking it step by step and gradually reclaim the rest," said Town Clerk Errol Greene.
This move follows renewed outcry from church officials and business interests about the take over of the streets of downtown Kingston.
But even before the move is made today, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is predicting not only resistance from vendors but another KSAC failure.
Last week, church committee member Linton Telfer told The Gleaner that the vendors and their customers were not only making entry and exits difficult for church members, but were using the Kingston Parish Church grounds as changing rooms and toilets. There were reports of persons smoking marijuana on the property and leaving faeces in the yard. Membership at the church has declined from 900 in the 1980s to 300 core members currently. Services such as New Year's Eve and Easter Mass have also had to be discontinued for the past two years.
Trouble may be brewing because vendors also made it clear earlier this week that they would not tolerate removal by "brute force" and had even talked of wanting to "cut a deal" with the KSAC. The vendors said that they were willing to take down their stalls on Saturday nights so the church can have their Sunday services. The vendors added that they would co-operate with the church when they are having special functions.
The KSAC made a lukewarm attempt to relocate the vendors last year, following announcements by Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson and Local Government Minister, Arnold Bertram. The attempt failed and a number of deadlines set for removal, up to early 2002, passed without compliance.
Yesterday, Opposition spokes-man on Local Government, Pear-nel Charles, predicted that today's exercise would fail because there was no evidence of proper planning and education of vendors.
Mr. Greene told a radio programme yesterday that the removal of vendors was being held up by a lack of resources but that a meeting with Minister Bertram had secured "a three-month safety net" where the Local Government ministry will pay special constables, who are expected to patrol the area.
