Heavy traffic, shoppers, police patrols in San Fernando

WITH the wrecking service in San Fernando suspended for the season, Monday, the day before Christmas Eve, saw huge traffic pile-ups and heavy police patrols on High Street.

The main shopping areas in the city were packed with vehicles parked along the roads, causing chaos as people shopped for Christmas.

Businessman Rahim Faizool said while there is usually a rush in the lead-up to Christmas, the traffic onHigh Street, coupled with vendors on both sides of the street was causing chaos in the city. “San Fernando is one big market.

”I see a lot of police, but the issue is an increased number of street vendors who took over the streets with a lot of goods for sale,” Faizool said.

Vendors, Faizool said, are free to market a variety of goods on the streets and there are no rules on how much of the street or the pavement they should occupy. While people are out to earn a living, he said the temporary Christmas vendors tend to take over the main street every year.

Merica Baptiste, sitting amidst a pile of mats, said she was out to hustle for two days to sell out her merchandise.

"San Fernando has more shoppers, and this year people are looking for a good price. That is why they choose to shop on the streets," she said.