PoS mayor: Two extra hours of mas

THE Port of Spain (PoS) mayor has said the Carnival Monday Down Town Parade of Bands will start at 11 am to cater for more bands taking part.

Joel Martinez attributed the move to a return of bands downtown after a fall-off in past years. He spoke at a briefing after yesterday’s statutory meeting of the PoS City Council at City Hall.

The event kicks off two hours earlier than the usual 1 pm start, Martinez said.

Otherwise, he urged revellers and viewers of Carnival to stay safe and to not ruin the built environment by littering or by disfiguring the properties of residents, even as he noted concerns expressed by Woodbrook residents.

With him at the briefing were Downtown Carnival chairman Wendell Stephen, who vowed to build on the festival's growth over the past five years, and head of the Culture, Festival and City Day committee Stephen Harper, who said for J'Ouvert, viewers will be able to use the downtown stands for free, but not later on.