San Fernando chamber: Wrecking bad for business

PRESIDENT of the Greater San Fernando Chamber Kiran Singh said the return of the wrecker to the city from next Monday is bad for business, and wants it scrapped.

“We are not in support of its return,” Singh told the Newsday on Friday.

Singh said neither he nor his members asked San Fernando mayor Junia Regrello to reintroduce the service, which was halted during the early days of the lockdown measures to stop the spread of covid19.

He said he learnt about this development from media reports.

“The wrecker poses a very serious hindrance to encouraging business activity within the downtown area.”

He said shoppers are apprehensive of taking advantage of deals and promotions offered by businesses on High Street and opt to go to the malls, where there is adequate parking and security.

“In fact the wreckers have been so efficient in their service to the citizens that even innocent residents who live on streets in the city have often been wrecked from in front of their homes.”

Singh said before the lockdown there was a heavy presence of both regular and municipal police officers, along with traffic wardens and soldiers, on the beat in San Fernando. Since businesses reopened, he said, these uniformed officers have been absent. He believes if they are present in the main shopping areas, they can manage indiscriminate parking.

He said vendors are the main culprits, occupying spaces, parking badly and impeding traffic.

Singh also called for a revamping of the wrecking service, pointing out that drivers have to pay fees in one location and go somewhere else to retrieve their wrecked vehicle.

“You must have your DP and insurance with you. So what this means is that you have to go to your vehicle at the city compound on Circular Road, get your insurance, go to City Hall to pay your fees and then go back to the holding bay to collect your vehicle. This is a huge inconvenience.”

Regrello announced last Wednesday that the council had reluctantly agreed to reintroduce one wrecker to work in limited areas and in the city centre from Monday.

He said he was “forced, pressed" by businesses to bring back the wrecker because people were taking advantage of the relaxed parking restrictions and causing congestion and inconveniencing others.

He said vehicles offloading goods had reduced Pointe-a-Pierre Road to one lane. He said people were parking and going to Port of Spain, while vendors at the Marabella market were occupying spaces in nearby business compounds while they sold in the market.

Regrello said after the complaint from the chamber he would review the decision before Monday.