The Georgetown City Council is preparing for the busy Christmas shopping season by granting approval for seasonal vending along the streets in specific downtown areas. Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, explained today that persons wishing to secure a spot for their vending during the holidays season can do so at a cost of $3000 per week.

In an interview today, the Mayor said the fee is important to keep the areas clean and restore them when the seasonal vending period comes to an end in mid-January.

“Ideally, I was in support of reducing the $3000 to at least $2000 but then the Town Clerk gave advice to the Council to say why it is necessary, and other Councilors would have also agreed why the $3000 is necessary because there has been an abundance of garbage and stuff that you need to treat with. So we’re not even breaking even on this. It is a cost that we will have to absorb some of it”, Mayor Mentore said.

The Mayor said while vending on the sides of the streets and along the pave will be allowed for the holiday season in the shopping district, the Council will also be working along with the City Constabulary and the Police to ensure vendors do not move onto the roadway and affect the flow of traffic. He said vending must be done in an orderly way.

He said “as it relates to the monitoring of these places and to ensure that the people don’t go out too far and do things that will affect the traffic, that will be managed by our Constabulary…so we will try to put out more posts and have people working at different shifts to allow this. I cannot give you the precise arrangement but I know for sure we will be painting and marking the areas, so they will have a line which they will have to conform with and if they go outside, then thats where the Constabulary will get involved”.

Already along Regent Street, Water Street and in the Stabroek Market area, the seasonal vendors have been putting out their stands to catch the early shoppers.

In the past two years, a number of city businesses have dragged the City Council before the Courts over the issue of vendors blocking their businesses and access to their businesses. The City was forced to clear a number of pavement areas of vendors.

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