CHAGUANAS -- the fastest growing town in Trinidad and Tobago --
reeks of prosperity.
Traffic, stores with goods spilling out on the bustling pavements,
seem to tell a tale of a vibrant, financially successful town.
However, this may be first impressions because business men are
singing a different tune -- of hard times.
One businesswoman said she cannot pay workers from the small profit
she makes.
“It is hard for us.“Space is very expensive in Chaguanas
and the rent is hard to pay.
“The money we making cannot upkeep the business.
“The Mayor, Dr. Surujrattan Rambachan is responsible for
us suffering because he put the vendors on the street to compete
with us, who pay rent and taxes,” the businesswoman complained.
The businesswoman said sales dropped since last Christmas season.
“Business never returned to normal since, it is very slow,”
the businesswoman related.
The businesswoman said Guyanese vendors have taken over the streets
in Chaguanas.
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Vending
along the Chaguanus
Main Road.
Music
on Sale on the Roadside
Long
Main Road
Chaguanas.
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She said the Guyanese
vendors are always fighting on the streets.
She related: “They curse and argue all the time.
“They
block the entrance to Nadia Corner Mall and are increasing by numbers.
“The legitimate store vendors cannot ask them to move because
they will be disciplined with vulgarity.
“The police
have failed to be of any assistance to curb vending since some of
them accept gifts from the vendors.”
Vendors on music carts have instilled fear in several vendors.
Businessmen alleged that they play obscene music, smoke and drink
on the street.
“This is another reason why people are
refusing to come to Chaguanas.
“Well-respected fami-lies
don’t want to bring their young, decent children to shop in
Chaguanas amidst all the vulgarity.“They prefer to go to the
malls,” a businessman explained.
Another businessman said the music vendors always boast of being ex-convicts
and from the Laventille area.“They say we cannot do them anything.
“They are also telling us that they bribe the police to
allow them to sell.“But they are creating a disturbance to us,”
the businessman related.
The music vendors were accused of playing loud music to the extent
where businesses and their employees cannot hear what is taking place
inside their store.
TnT Mirror learnt that a music vendor beat up a policeman one month
ago when he was cautioned about playing loud music. The policeman
was on duty in a mobile police post in the gas station on Chaguanas
Main Road when the incident took place.
Sources, who witnessed the incident, said colleagues of the officer
took more than half an hour to respond to his request for help.
Two officers were verbally abused two days later, while walking along
the street.“That is the kind of fear we are facing in Chaguanas,”
a businessman said.
Mirror learnt that a music vendor threatened the lives of three members
of a family recently.
To date, it was learnt, Chaguanas police have not responded.
Businessmen are calling for action from Rambachan.
“We cannot
go on like this.
“There are other cases of wounding,
pick-pocketing and bag-slashing in the borough.
“The
police presence has decreased.
“We want to know what
is our future here,” an angry businessman said.
Dr. Rambachan was unavailable for com-ment since he is out of the
country.
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