City Council maintains watch on roving vendors
THE City Council yesterday continued inspection along Regent Street ensuring that vending is not done along the pavements.
City Constables were at the junctions of Wellington and Regent Streets and Orange Walk and Regent Streets keeping a close watch on the vendors who have now relocated under an abandoned building at Regent Street and Wellington Streets.
There were no reports of confrontation between the sellers and the City Constabulary ranks.
On Thursday, the standoff between the City Council and some of the vendors it has cleared from selling on the pavements of Regent Street became tense at the condemned building site where some sellers have taken up quarters.
The vendors operating under the condemned building reportedly had a confrontation with some City Constables but no one was reported injured.
Assistant Public Relations Officer at City Hall, Mr Orin Richardson told the Chronicle he learnt that tempers flared when the City Constabulary officers attempted to seize the vendors' items.
Pieces of sticks were reportedly used in the clash but Richardson said he could not confirm this.
Witnesses said the sellers had put their wares on pallets over the drain between the pavement and the yard and they objected when the constables tried to remove these.
The sellers began doing business from under the old building this week and the City Council has expressed alarm at the development.
It said sellers and buyers are going there at their own risk.
The City Council said the City Engineer's Department had condemned the building and has notified the owners to demolish it.
Arrangements are being made for vendors to occupy stalls on Orange Walk and Bourda Street, between Regent and Charlotte Streets, by Monday, the council said.
But the vendors at the old building maintain they will not be moving to that location.
They have challenged the court order preventing them from selling on Regent Street and that case is due for hearing on October 25 in the High Court.
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