Housing and Local Government Minister Richard Fredrick has expressed concern about haphazard vending in Castries and its environs.
At a media briefing on Monday, the Castries Central MP spoke about mechanisms to address the random setting up of vending booths on the sidewalks and elsewhere.
Frederick informed that on a recent tour of the Castries Central constituency in the company of Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, they discussed some pertinent matters relating to general upgrading of the aesthetics within the city.
He expressly referred to the parking lot near the old Government Printery, disclosing that the printery building is up for demolition.
He also said there is a suggestion to construct a “colorful arcade” to accommodate vendors that ply their trade in that area.
“The vendors unfortunately make an eyesore in the city …not intentionally, but invariably that is what happens. And on Sundays, when you walk through the city they leave
their tools of trade hanging about and we come to the realisation that we can do better as a people,” Frederick told reporters.
Consequently, he said, Prime Minister Pierre informed that almost immediately, there should be “construction of some vending booths in that parking lot … and to rehabilitate Bideau Park.”
Frederick said that vending booths will be built in that area.
Nevertheless, he stated the government has no objections to persons eking out a livelihood from their vending operations, but it must be done in an orderly fashion.
The Minister said in attempting to reach a compromise, there are ‘conflicting or competing’ interests.
“You have the interests of the vendors, they have a right to survive, (and) you have the interests of business owners who have a right to use their property unimpeded and …the
pedestrians have a right to use the sidewalks without any kind of impediments placed on that sidewalk,” Frederick noted.
“Those are the balancing interests that we need to take a middle ground in …and no one should go far left or far right,” he added.
“It is something that we have to reason out and to do what’s best in the interest of compromising the situation,” the Castries Central MP said.
Frederick noted that he, PM Pierre, and the Mayor of Castries toured the city and allocated other spaces for people still using the parking lot.
“We shall be proceeding with due alacrity with the construction of these new vending booths,” the Minister told reporters.
Frederick stated that the ultimate goal is to remove “those persons there, once and for all.”
“After this is done, I have to send a warning to persons in a haphazard way …to stop the construction of all those little booths all over the place. That cannot be tolerated,” the Castries Central MP contended.
“It is not aesthetically appeasing, it is not something that you want your visitors to see,” he said.
“Yes, you have a right to survive but we need to do it in a manner that …we don’t want to do it in an unlawful and sporadic way. Let’s do it in a manner that lends to the
beautification of our city,” Frederick noted.
The Castries Central MP disclosed that there are some vendors who occupy “booths around the place …they are tardy on their payments, they owe (the) City Council a lot of money. They leave the booths with their children and then they take trays and go elsewhere.”
Added Fredrick: “So, it’s a matter of striking a balance and I do believe construction will not take very long. We are proceeding with due haste …and in the not too distant future, the situation will at least be partially resolved and this is the way we want to proceed.”
This man just believes that st lucia is his property. Its time for UWP to be back in power. Needs to go.. ugly as sin, looking down on the poor man and everyone is afraid to talk. Old worthless. At the end of the day all comes to an end. Puerco
Frederick shut your piehole!!!!!!!
So after the horse has bolted you now want to secure the barn door.
Welcome to the ghetto
More cheap plywood booths to create a bigger eyesore in 10 years? If you want to see a vending disaster, take a walk on Broglie street between High Street and Micoud street, to see booths constructed on the sidewalks, while pedestrians mainly school children, walk on the road!
Something most be done even though the Pitons may Fall !
This is the best joke of the day. Shows exactly what politricks is all about. Dance sheep dance.
To R.F. … Really?!?
What a laugh.isint that the same man during his campaign said to the vendors that they can use the sidewalk as they please to sell..
Now it is an eyesore to him.
These fools know how to backtrack and eat their own vomit.
What a shame for St.Lucia.
Daft prime Minister and brainless foot soldiers.
Totally agree with him, there is many examples like this However the problem with this situations on the island is simply because no one enforces the standards in St Lucia for a simple reason they all need to secure the votes come election time.
At the end of the day it is just matter of time for the clowns to bark because you know why? They feel cast aside when they don’t get attention come their way. It is like stepping on a podium and talking to dogs, cats, sheep, goats and cows. You know they will come to you because you make them believe you have the food, but over time they lost taste for your food because it is that same thing. Now when the animals don’t acknowledge you, you scream out at the neighbor, look I was feeding them and look now they turn their back on me, all the time you are looking at the neighbor and laughing at them kyak kyak! Now you felt isolated and alone you are seeking attention. It is known you are a questionable character locally and internationally. You are well aware and you know how to make your leap. Now leave the vendors alone, your forking administration push them into poverty line. They cannot sell or open late because your government is harboring thieves and criminals that go after them. You break down some many places taking a meal from their mouth now you come screaming. Go and chastise the vendors on your talk show host… paytu!
A step in the right direction….last week that ex power hungry mayor just like that desperate ex tourism minister open their you know what with their religious beliefs of it’s only them alone can govern effectively. Fredrick’s do what you have to REMOVE THE VENDORS OFF THE STREETS ALONG WITH THEIR SHACK SHACKS TO A CENTRAL LOCATION DUHHHHHHH ! Which fool will have an issue with this ??? Yellow degenerate and their cohorts ONLY.
Isn’t that the same thing that Mayor Peterson was saying and you were on “Can I help me” berating him and inciting dissent. Remember “No one will touch my vendors” Now look at that!!
Same Richard Frederick who had an issue with this same issue when Peterson Francis was trying to implement. Wow
I can bet a million dollars that the lazy Minister of Urban Planning was not involved in this! That’s how firmly I believe that these people all operate in blue barrels. The mayor is clueless on how to renew a city, the Minister of central government does his own thing, the minister for planning is no where insight to stop businesses from encroaching on our sidewalks. Sad to say but this is THE definition of incompetence.
Let me first state that it looks horrible with vendors located in the middle of what you guys call “the town” – granted people need to make a living and that is a reality – however, there should be a specific designated area with the appropriate space for the vendors to market their merchandise. This encampment looks like an eyesore as well as a ghetto hustle center. I don’t know the minister, but he is right it looks VERY MESSY.
By the way let me state – I don’t know any of the politicians in St. Lucia – and I am neither SLP nor UWP. Some of you Lucians refuse to look at the big picture and no matter what an individual does to make things better — all you guys do is CONTINUOUSLY COMPLAIN… THE TRUTH IS IT LOOKS EXTREMELY DISGUSTING.
The light shines in the darkness, but refuses to acknowledge it !!
hypocrite
1. : a person who pretends to have virtues or qualities that he or she does not have. 2. : a person whose actions contradict their stated beliefs or feelings. hypocritical.
I say no more.
There is little if anything aesthetically pleasing about Castries because practically the entire city is an eyesore so the indiscriminate vending is a non-issue where that is concerned.
Castries: The pit stop of the Caribbean. – Fortuna Belrose. She was right then and even more right now. Our capital shitty is disgusting beyond words.
You said to them before don’t touch my vendors..man you are disgusting in st.lucia I’m so sorry people can’t see you through you I hope the car pack money you don’t take care of the vendors
When we are Rebelle against the law and do not obey,it is for our own hurt and downfall…
Make way !
Clear the way !
Who can comphrehend what goes on in Life ?
While the man of God name Saul as Paul was destroying the faith and church and the people of God,then later was anoint by God…
Robert Badinter, the french lawyer of France, who rencently died,was the lawyer for defending criminals, was the same person who make appeal for obolishment for death sentence and was granted…
Let me give a few tongue lashings.
First of all , how is it that the Capital of our Nation is so deplorable? And yet these ministers walk through there day in day out seeing the mess that is about the place and doing nothing about it, for decades …how can a city look so nasty. You politicians are an embarrassment and a shame to our nation. This issue is not new. One would think that a city would be spick and span being the flagship of the nation…but as usual, nothing happens in Saint Lucia until the mess has hit the fan. I am embarrassed coming to Castries…
Then we have cruise ships docking not to far from that same mess you numbskulls are talking about and visitors who are peripatetic, walking listlessly about – to which they are entitled to – but what bad publicity for our nation. We soon will celebrate 45 years of independence, soon a few licks of black, yellow, which and blue paint will be plastered on light poles like some first aid bandage ..yet it’s just to cover up the dereliction that is the city. When you see the level of lazy thinking, laissez-faire attitudes, lazy actions, and these lazy politicians just sitting in parliament swivelling on there leather holstered chairs, one wonder what goes on in that chamber…. honestly, they are all useless. How is it that a nation suffering under various calamities – crime, vehicular accidents, health issues, domestic violence – and these charlatans just getting a nice pay check every month for doing nothing…
Interestingly enough, I went to the Department of finance website to have a little look and there on the website is a grand plan for the rehabilitation of Castries and other parts of Saint Lucia. That plan was designed since 2009. Today, there has been barely a stone put in place to spruce up the city. We have stagnated the nation in the name of dirty politics and personal vendettas. I think it’s time Saint Lucia have new men and women who truly care about our nation. These two party system takes the people for fools… When will Castries be rebuilt according to the developmental plan?….yet I suspect, if SLP started it, UWP will oppose and vice versa….or worse yet…if SLP starts it …UWP will discontinue it IF (BIG IF) they get into government…..but that is the sick reality of our politics.. wasting the tax payers money for polical vendettas……if parliament approves a plan to redevelop the airport, why is that plan not carried out, if every aspect of that plan was in accordance with the rules of proper governance? Why spend millions on consultation, draw up schematics, initial the building process only for the next party in power to stop it or completely destroy what was already approved? In the meantime the people’s money is wasted….and the nation is not one step ahead in development but ten steps back in regression because of politics…the people reflect their leaders and vice versa…that’s why things are the way they are in our nation…..too many backward people ( vast majority) and not enough forward thinkers (minutes minority) in leadership
Now with this vending issue, why would you Frederick, want to build more vending space in a city that is already crumbed? Yes vendors have to eat, so if every 180,0000 Saint Lucians decide to vend in the city , are you going to make vending space for them on the grounds they have to eat?…then you will built them some plywood shack, paint it in some bright luminous colour and there you have it, another bright idea. If one observe, there is no colour coordination in Saint Lucia, including Castries, people paint buildings how they like , with whatever colour they like without giving any consideration how that colour blends in with the landscape, nature and other building establishment nearby…..a city must have order and every building or entity in that city must function in a way that enhances the city’s esthetics….I believe there are too many vehicles in the city. Castries should be pedestrianised and keep all vehicles on the periphery of the city…. I advocate to make Castries a garden city…plant more tress and flowers, more parks and open green spaces for the people to enjoy…more trees means more shade for the heat and making cooler environments, more birds sweetening the air with song….( I think Lucians need that soothing touch of nature due to too much violence)….
But seeing this chaos is not a surprise because all we have in Saint Lucia are visionless men and women who don’t have a clue what there are doing…some have degrees some have doctorates and some may have PhDs, but boy, the ideas are sorely lacking in their spastic brains.
DON’T FORGET
GATED COMMUNITIES JUST
CRIMINAL.
When the shoe is on the other foot, we can really begin to make judgements concerning these politicians. Isn’t this the same Frederick who chastised the former mayor and said that people need to earn a livelihood and gave people the right to vend anywhere in the city. Today it’s an eyesore. I will definitely agree with you but remember how you told them on your show to ignore and disregard the mayor and city police when it came to where they wanted to vend. Are you not the same one along with Dax giving vendors with coolers provisional permits to sell alcohol all over the city, even to minors. I have first hand proof. I saw a police officer pulled up a guy with a cooler who had just sold Bounty to a minor and when the officer tried to confiscate the cooler, the vendor presented his liquor license which he said was facilitated by the Boss and Dax.
Now on the subject of the demolition of the printery building. Where is the National Trust and all the noise. Today the same Frederick who said the past administration was mad when they had earmarked that same building for demolition. Both him and the national trust saw it as a part of heritage and made calls to the government to rethink that decision. Today he is talking about demolition.
I GUESS ALL IS GOOD IN FAIR HELEN.
WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN.
The Castries market practically outline the life style of the island, the culture and who the people are. Ministers often hide behind securities, secretaries and brick wall. When it comes to election you see them like worms and ants. What you all want to setup a mall for the people them to sell their goods/produce? You stupid kontholes think tourist is going to come leave their air condition malls, and upscale departments to come and see same replica? The city often painted a picture of the entire country the culture, way of live norm and others. Push them aside, stifle them etc you’ll see the end results. Already your government cannot control crime and you going to push people in these hard times. Fools get a grip of you all self yes!
I am so sorry when I read some of the comments from anonymous and the rest. I asked myself whether is hate or jealousy. I know they hate Pierre because he is black and anonymous and his crew are white. Now for Richard , what is it? Oh sorry he is black too. Common Richard, do the right thing to enhance the city. I support.
on this, I agree with him. He has an eye for aesthetics and urban design. The vending looks bad on all corners. The ti Kaye mentality must go. The ghettos when you come into the city is not a good sight. Buildings need remodeling. But am aware we are a little island with little money , most of which is lost to politicians. But something has to be done to make Castries look and feel like a city. It doesn’t. The gardens that vagrants took over, should have been a well kept park. This affects mood and attitude and can have an effect on persons. Serious countries understand this.