Spencer: New date for market relocation soon

A new date for relocation of vendors to the temporary market site at the Shaw Park will be set when officials of the Division of Food Production meet with vendors, Food Production.

That is the latest word from Secretary Hayden Spencer on the opening of the facility.

“It is just to meet with the vendors one more time because we always meet before we set a date to get that both parties are comfortable to do the relocation. We have not met with them regarding setting a new date, but we are hoping that we can possibly meet with them possibly within the first or second week in May based on agreement with the vendors themselves,” he said.

The latest April 15-17 relocation date was missed due to what Spencer said was the facility not yet having an electricity supply. He told Newsday Tobago last week Tuesday that the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) had given a four to six weeks timeline to install power because of the need to erect a pole with a transformer.

“We cannot go there without electricity, electricity is the main thing. When T&TEC hooks us up, then you know the testing of all the electrical works and so on will have to be done. T&TEC is saying that this kind of job, to install a pole with a transformer, normally takes between four to six weeks but we are still trying to see if we can get it done before. I don’t know how possible that is,” he said.

He had said too, that he had met with the vendors to apprise them of the setback and promised that a new date for the opening of the temporary facility would be issued shortly.

On Monday, T&TEC Corporate Communications Manager Annabelle Brasnell, told Newsday Tobago that T&TEC connected a power supply to the facility at 2:30pm that day.

“T&TEC was able to fulfil its part last Friday and we were able to complete the connection, so the facility now has the necessary power,” said Brasnell.

Meanwhile, Spencer, said a new date is being worked on for the relocation, the Division will be carrying out certain supplementary work at the site.

“We would have taken that opportunity to do some additional works as it relates to the weather, which was not part of the original plan. When we look at the space, we had to look at how the sunlight will be affecting the vendors on afternoons, so we included that sort of shade. I passed there on Monday and it was already framed up and they would then move to cover it,” he said.