S’do wrecking suspended

Complaints about vehicles being wrecked in San Fernando although public car parks are closed have led the San Fernando City Corporation to suspend wrecking in the city.

CEO Indarjit Singh issued a release on Wednesday saying the SFCC had taken the decision because it was vigilant about reducing the spread of covid19. But it may have been pressure on the city for wrecking vehicles during the two-week stay-at-home order that prompted the suspension of wrecking with immediate effect from April 1 - 12. The CEO told the public to act responsibly during this time by using the streets only for short periods as the police will be on patrol to ensure this relief measure is not abused.

On both Tuesday and Wednesday people including pensioners doing business at banks and supermarkets complained that their vehicles were wrecked and towed away even though all car parks – deemed non-essential services – were shut leaving them nowhere else to park but on the roads. Pensioners voiced anger that while the streets were clear of traffic as all non-essential services were ordered closed and workers to stay at home the wrecker was still working without consideration that for many their pensions were their only income andothers may be collecting their last pay cheque for a long time to come.

Long lines were visible at the banks on High Street as pensioners and monthly paid workers tried to get their cheques changed on Wednesday. Similar scenes were visible at supermarkets and at TT Post on Coffee Streets.

The long lines prompted Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith to warn he would close banks supermarkets and markets if the public did not comply with social distancing outside premises – a step the prime minister later said the CoP could not take.