Mayor awaits promised market amid street-vending woes in Portmore

The issue of street vending in Portmore, St Catherine, has been a persistent concern, and Mayor Leon Thomas is still waiting for the promised market that could provide a solution.

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has pledged to erect a modern market in the “Sunshine City”, but progress has been slow.

Thomas has pointed to a site at Jamworld as the most suitable location for the market. However, McKenzie, who was invited to assess the site, has not yet been done.

In March of 2021, McKenzie, along with the mayor and building officers from the municipal corporation, inspected a 12-acre plot of land in Gregory Park, and McKenzie signed off on its suitability for the market.

He said at the time that “Gregory Park was chosen as the site for the construction of the market because the lands were there and the Government would be building a modern market”.

However, objections from some prominent citizens’ associations in the area have now ruled out this location.

Thomas claims that during the tour of the Gregory Park location, McKenzie was offered the opportunity to tour the Jamworld site also but had to cancel due to pressing constituency matters he had at the time.

“We must consider Jamworld as the ideal site, given the boundary designation for the proposed parish status, with the proposed parish boundaries stopping at Portmore Boulevard and back to the Freshwater River along the Portmore Causeway, Jamworld, with available lands, is the most ideal location,” Thomas asserted, adding that the proposed parish boundary had limited available land space in Portmore.

The Portmore mayor said the need for the market is urgent, particularly in light of the increasing issue of street vending in the municipality. Meanwhile, the municipal corporation enforcement department, in collaboration with the police, has initiated an ongoing process of removing vendors from the streets.

Ackee Village, Portmore Mall, and the Naggo Head Transportation Centre currently serve as three permanent locations where vendors can operate with access to sanitary facilities.

With the holiday season approaching, the mayor has identified the Greater Portmore Sports Complex and the Port Henderson site as temporary locations for holiday vending. Markings are now being done to prepare the Port Henderson location. Both spots will be open for vending until January 6, 2024.

The mayor emphasised a zero-tolerance policy for street-side cook shops and stated that the police have been authorised to clamp down on all street vending in the municipality.

The fate of the promised market remains uncertain, but the pressing need for a solution to street vending in Portmore dominated a meeting held with the police and other stakeholders on Monday.