Vendor relocation, lessons from the past
Published:Wednesday | October 20, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Dennie Quill, Contributor
I HAVE had days of heated discussions with friends over the recent move by the police to end vending in undesignated areas in downtown Kingston. "Whey dem fe go? is the most frequently asked question by those who would wish to support the status quo.
I have been largely outnumbered in my desire to see an orderly city, by several others who say these are desperate people, and if we do not allow them to make a living on the streets then they will prey on those in society who appear to be doing well.
My argument is that for the economic functionality of a city, there cannot be indiscriminate vending such as we have witnessed in Kingston over these many years. The invasion by vendors of public spaces, and the unchecked demand for selling anywhere and everywhere, has spread chaos throughout the city, often endangering the lives of pedestrians and motorists alike.
Air of instability
Lawlessness thrives in this environment of chaos and presents a nightmare for law enforcement. Downtown has become an urban orchestra of roaring traffic, horn-blaring, handcart-shuffling and human shrieks, all contributing to an air of instability.
Both the local private sector and Government have been sprinting uptown to escape the urban hell that Kingston has become. What brave soul would contemplate any new investment in the current state? And if locals are avoiding downtown, why would foreign investors go there? With the notable exception of Digicel, I do not expect to see foreign investors even casting a glance in that direction.
It is instructive that the police took the initiative, and obviously, without any consultation with the political directorate. Maybe this is because the municipal leaders have demonstrated their inability to develop a clear plan to deal with the problem of illegal vending. The conflicting and contradictory policies regarding vending in the city and major townships, have ensured that the issue remains unresolved to be tackled once a year without the desired results.
Few can deny that something needed to be done about downtown Kingston. This exercise was always going to be ugly. I concede that, perhaps preparation before demolition was necessary, to give the vendors time to secure their goods and apparatus.
Urban civility
Vending is seen as one mechanism through which the unskilled person can eke out a livelihood. There are now thousands of people, mainly women, involved in what is loosely called 'buying and selling' all over the country. And they are to be congratulated for developing a self-employment, self-reliant culture. However, the rules and regulations apply equally to the vendor as it does to the shopkeeper or store operator. There has to be respect for law and order if we are to achieve urban civility.
A few years back, vending was actively being pursued on the Constant Spring Road strip, vehicular and pedestrian traffic were reduced, and manoeuvring through the collection of stalls was a nightmare.
Eventually, the vendors were removed to an arcade across the street. Many resisted this and suggested that they would lose business, but they were moved anyway, and today shoppers can walk about freely in a clean, friendly environment. How did that happen?
No one could accuse former Prime Minister Edward Seaga of not having the interest of the poor at heart. But back then, he demonstrated the kind of leadership that would take a difficult issue and attack it head on. Lessons from the past if we would only look.