Carnival booths, stands to be taken down from Monday

Carnival booths and stands which were put up for Carnival, but were not taken down afterward because of the covid19 pandemic, will be dismantled starting Monday.

This was told to Newsday by National Carnival Commission (NCC) CEO Colin Lucas after a fire destroyed six Carnival vending booths at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Tuesday.

At about 12.45 pm, fire and emergency services were told about a fire which started in one of the booths. Officers responded and put out the blaze but not before six booths were destroyed and others damaged, resulting in $70,000 in losses.

A man of Mc Shine Lane in Belmont, who was allegedly seen across the street from the blaze, has been arrested and, up to press time, was still assisting police with their investigation.

The booths are usually dismantled shortly after Carnival, but because of covid19 restrictions, the construction industry was deemed non-essential and was shut down.

People who frequent the Savannah complained that several homeless people have since occupied the booths. Doors on some of them were also stolen.

“It is taxpayers’ money going down the drain here,” said Carlson Balkissoon, an oyster vendor who sells at the Savannah, right where the six booths were burnt.

The booths were not the only structures left after Carnival. The stand at South Quay, which is used as a judging point, is still standing.

Lucas said he was told about the theft at the booths around the Savannah, and said NCC workers were sent to remove any additional items which could be stolen.