Vendors violating Falmouth’s Water Square ban

Western Bureau:

Vendors are again operating with impunity in Water Square in Trelawny following a ban on commercial activity in the area. The Trelawny Municipal Corporation had declared the square in Falmouth off-limits in February 2017.

At that time, Falmouth Mayor Councillor Colin Gager had warned that the corporation would be vigilant in enforcing the no-vending policy in the area. The corporation had spent money to pedestrianise the square in order to keep vehicular traffic and vendors from the space.

“I have fought long and hard for the square to be pedestrianised and be rid of vendors, and I will have it no other way,” the mayor said at the time.

However, when The Gleaner visited the historic square last Friday, vendors were out in their numbers selling cooked food, sugar cane, fruits, and other items.

“We are here, and since nobody not interfering with us, we just doing what we have to do to care for our family,” one vendor told The Gleaner as a group of police officers on foot patrol walked by. “Time hard, and people have to live.”

At the same time, while the vendors are using the square free of cost, other persons have reportedly been charged hefty sums to use the area.

Jennifer Smith, the president of the Rotary Club of Falmouth, said that she recently sought permission to use the square for a health-related exercise and was slapped with a hefty price tag.

“I applied to the municipality for permission to set up a 10x10 tent where the club would offer free healthcare checks. To my utter amazement, I was told that it would cost us $30, 000,” said Smith.

Repeated attempts by The Gleaner to get a comment from the mayor on the breakdown of the policy proved futile.