Crab vendors' return to Caroni cut short by rain

Two days after they were dispersed and cautioned by police to stop vending near the Caroni Bridge Roundabout, a small number of crab vendors returned on Friday but were again dispersed, this time by heavy rain.

On Wednesday municipal police told the vendors no vending was allowed in the area.

MPs Khadijah Ameen (St Augustine) and Rudranath Indarsingh (Couva South) visited and heard their concerns before they eventually left.

Speaking with Newsday on Friday, crab vendor David Manbode said he and others returned earlier in the day and made some sales before the bad weather sent them home.

Despite this, he said they were planning to return on Saturday to continue their trade.

"Once the weather is favourable we'll be going back.

"There were only about two or three other vendors out there today, but we stayed there for a while before the rain got heavy and we left."

On suggestions that the vendors should relocate, Manbode said he and others were open to moving their business elsewhere once it was comfortable and accessible to customers.

"I've been selling since I know myself, and I know Caroni as the place to sell, but we would be willing to move once we get a comfortable place to sell. Even if they charge us a reasonable rent, we would be happy for that. They could build somewhere a short ways down the road and we will move there.

"We just want to sell our goods and support our families. We work hard, the goods we sell here come from two or three days of work so we should have a space to sell them."

Contacted for comment, chairman of the Tunapuna/ Piarco Regional Corporation Kwasi Robinson said it would take some time to put plans put in place to relocate the vendors.

He also noted talks were postponed because of the rain on Friday.

"The discussions would have been halted due to the bad weather we saw today. There were a few landslips and we had to respond to that first, so I know all the councillors would have been engaged today."