Mayor wants to bring shoppers back to PoS

PEOPLE traversing the capital city of Port of Spain have been commenting on the recently erected 35-feet high Christmas tree over the Cipriani statue at the bottom of Frederick Street. Critics find it sparsely decorated and an eyesore.

But Mayor Joel Martinez shot back: “If they will donate some funds to fill it, I will be very delighted.”

The tree cost the City Corporation $175,000.

Martinez said he would have liked it to be 50 feet for more effect similar to what is in most of the metropolitan cities of the world.

“One of the objectives was, if we want Port of Spain to be a true capital and something that we can admire, why not follow the trend of the international cities and bring that Christmas spirit, and people back to the capital.”

He said it was placed over the statue because at the centre of downtown “everyone can see it.”

“Coming down from Frederick Street you can see it, and from both the eastern and western ends of the city. The roundabout is at the centre of downtown and it gives a charm in the middle there. It is like Rockefeller Centre in New York. What I would like to ultimately do is to have all the merchants or businesses around there to light up their businesses, and if we could light up the entire Brian Lara Promenade, that would be a lovely experience.”

Martinez expects that to be done in 2020, as well as to have trees planted on Broadway to beautify it and create a nice space leading towards South Quay.

“So when people come out of City Gate they can walk along that part of South Quay, so you can see the beauty and elegance of Port of Spain once again.

Also, you can then visit Chinatown which will be an international landmark.

“If I work with the time-lines I would like, it would come into fruition in 2020.”

As for wrecking in the city, he said stopping it temporarily has not been discussed.

“One of the thing you have in Port of Spain is people continue to park indiscriminately and if you suspend wrecking around Christmas time, you could end up with congestion.

“And if there is a security risk like what happened at the People’s Mall just a week ago where there was a fire, you can imagine the catastrophe that could happen if you can’t get a fire tender in at a moment’s notice. So that may create additional hazard and a disaster which nobody would want at the end of the day.”

Regarding street vendors, the mayor said those who went through the regulatory process and got registered are allowed to vend without any hassle. “But it is unfair to them and the business people in the city who have been carrying the city throughout the years for other vendors to just take up a space to vend,” he said.

Martinez added: “Vending is something I would like to eventually develop into small and micro enterprise or entrepreneurs but it must have a process and it must be regulated. If you don’t do that you will end up in chaos.”

He lamented the corporation could not register all the vendors who applied this year because of many other things that were happening, including the local government election.

“You have to have the manpower, the police to man the area and I was focussed on getting the other things done including taking care of the homeless people so that they can have a wonderful Christmas at the homeless centre.

“But unfortunately all those things didn’t happen before Christmas. But I want to wish the people of Port of Spain and TT all the very best and a happy, holy, blessed and safe Christmas.”

When Newsday visited the streets of Port of Spain on Sunday morning, at Paint Depot, a sales lady said sales were now picking up for them, while at Jenny’s and Family things were a little slow, and okay at Cabin Electronics.

At Pennywise, perfumes were the best-seller as sales were picking up.

Outside the stores, people could pick up any market item as those street vendors were out in their numbers but they complained sales were the slowest they’d ever experienced.

Christmas-related items were best-sellers at Yip’s & Sons, and at All in One, sales were slower than normal. A supervisor said people were buying only what they needed.

Asked if the change over of $100 notes to polymer bills slowed sales, the supervisor said no. “If anything, I think people would have taken the opportunity to get rid of their old bills.”

However, most store owners and street vendors are hoping Monday and Christmas Eve, sales will be high.