The new Albert Street should be ready before Christmas but don’t expect to see any street vendors at the opening party. That is because the vendors who peddle fruits, vegetables, jewelry, and DVDs on the street side have been informed they will have to relocate to Battlefield Park. That has the vendors up in arms and Keith Swift has their story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The street side vendors say they don’t want to relocate into the park because it smells, it is dirty and it is simply – bad for business.
Ramon Chirino, Fruit Vendor
“That’s too dirty, too dirty. It smells bad and it is not good. We sell here because it is clean and the people buy here. People wouldn’t
like to go buy in the park.”
Ronald Meighan, Jewellery Vendor
“The Mayor promised us that they will facilitate us by having the park being properly fixed up for us to do business in so that is what we are looking forward to but in the event that is not done then we will have to do otherwise, we would have to stay out here.”
Keith Swift,
But the thing is that you can’t stay out here.
Ronald Meighan,
“Well this is our livelihood and if we cannot sell out here then we’ll have to do what we have to do.”
And they probably will because Mayor Zenaida Moya says there will be no space
for streetside vendors on the new Albert Street.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
“How it is set up and how it was already discussed is that after the Albert Street paving and everything is done, we want that look whereby it is a nice attractive look and so we wanted that they be placed in a location that would have also been beneficial to them, it would have been a central location where everybody knows that if you want this, if you want to eat this, if you want to drink that – go right to the vendors. So they would be placed right along Battlefield Park.”
Keith Swift,
Do you think if you go into the park you will be get the same amount of people and traffic to go in there to buy than you’d get out here on the street?
Ronald Meighan,
"I don’t think so. I don’t see it but probably if they beautify the park in such a way to attract people to go in there then we might have customers coming in there and it wouldn’t be no problem to relocate over there but if that is not being done then we will have to do what we have to do.”
Mayor Moya promises that the park will get that facelift within weeks. Until then she stresses that the vendors will be allowed to stay where they are. That means no one will be forcibly moved – at least not immediately.
