Charlotte Street business in full swing

Business on Charlotte Street was in full force yesterday as vendors lined one side of the street plying their trade.

Three weeks ago the Port of Spain mayor decided to have them relocated to George and Nelson Streets, Port of Spain.

However, after protests from the vendors and consultations with their legal representatives it was decided to allow them back on Charlotte Street.

From 6 am yesterday, vendors began setting up their stalls and carts.

When Newsday visited Charlotte Street yesterday afternoon, majority of the vendors said it was about time they returned there. Stalls were set up on one side and the other side left empty for parking.

One vendor, who only gave her name as Janice, said all her bills have been put on hold, and she was very glad to start back working.

“I am a single mother of four, and it is not easy providing for everyone and you don’t know where your next dollar is coming from.

"I am glad everyone is back out selling, and I hope in the future we do not have to go through what we went through for the past couple of weeks. We were not allowed to sell on the street and it was very challenging to generate money to support my family.”

Another vendor, who sells traditional ground provisions and did not want to be named, said he now has to play catch-up to pay bills.

“What the mayor did was wrong. We are paying our rent and cleaning up after we are finished selling, and I could not understand why they stopped us and would have want to relocate us in the first place. The city corporation was to do some work, (but) if you look around there is barely anything completed on Charlotte Street. What are they really doing?”

Several calls over the past two days to mayor Joel Martinez’s cell phone went unanswered.

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"Charlotte Street business in full swing"

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