7 News Belize

Problems At Queen Square Market Area
posted (September 9, 2010)
They say progress brings problems - and nowhere has that been more apparent than at the Queen's Square Market. It seems that ever since the plan to modernize the Market was unveiled - it's been one problem after the other. And when market vendors quibble, it's no small matter - in fact, it usually ends in a good "cuss-out." And so it did once again today as the issue was the wholesalers who park along West Collet Canal. They're only allowed to do so three times a week during limited hours. That's the rule, but it's rarely enforced, so when the city council brought the hammer down today - the vendors were up in arms. 7news was there:….

Tempers were running high and those in the gathering came just short of getting physical, but the Vendors at the Queen Square Market told us they had reason to be upset because they feel they are being treated unfairly by the City Council and Traffic Department. Seven News spoke with one such couple, Abel and Hilda Silva, who told us what their issue is:

Abel Silva: Vendor
"Yesterday at 5 O' clock the city council brings the police to move my truck. I move it and park it on the street next to the market; they came and told me not to park it there. Today I came to sell my goods and they came again and told me to move my truck because they say I cannot park here. I left my truck there and the officer gave me a traffic ticket."

Hilda Silva, wholesaler
"City council wants to move all the wholesalers; they only give us certain from 5 am to 10 am in the morning to sell our goods. We can't sell all our stuff by that time, they want us to move. Do you see how much vehicles are selling stuff out here? All of us are wholesalers, they want to move everybody. I don't know what the city council or the traffic department have against us. We only need time to sell our products, that's all and stop molest us because we pay, we don't work free out here."

The Vendors were moved by the traffic department and the special constable. Today Seven News spoke with Selbert Butler, the Supervisor of Special Constables who was there at the market and he gave us their side of the story:

Andrea Polanco
"Mr. Butler can you shed some light as to what is going on here right now?"

Selbert Butler: Supervisor of Special Constable
"What happen about 4 o' click yesterday we came out here you try and enforce some of the rules and regulation out here pertaining to vendors. We currently have areas that are located for retail and wholesale vendors, but what has been happening according to the neighbors around here, people would come out about 10 - 11 o' clock; let's say the market is on Thursday; they would arrive here from Wednesday and they will come like from 5 o' clock Wednesday evening and throughout the night they will be coming and then what actually happens is that they start to set up tents and they make a lot of noise in the area and the neighbors have a right to complain because they cannot sleep. So we said ok you could stay here from 5 am until 10 am is your wholesale hours and they had agree at first, we had no problem. But suddenly a problem arise so we decide as enforcers we need to come out here and try to enforce the rule. We tell them that they will be able to operate out here from 5 - 10 am and after that you will have to leave. The retailers who are from Dean Street to Hicatee Street would be able to stay there from 6 o' clock in the morning until 6 o' clock in the evening. That is where we are, but now the people are rebelling because they are saying that if we leave from here 10 am where do we go? So I guess we had a conversation with the councilor and we have to charter the way forward but for right now we are enforcers. The law is that you cannot park there and so we are asking them to move. That is our position at this point."

While moving isn't the issue for the vendors, the questions they are asking are: where will we move to and why weren't we given more time to relocate?

Vendor
"We need solutions, we don't need (you have to move, move!) No, we need solutions; you know how; they can find a place for us then we don't bother anybody. They say that the neighbors complain but if we are here it's because we are paying city council for being here but if they can find a place for us then the case is done. But they just come and want us to move; where are we going to move. we have family, I have my daughter abroad, I have to pay rent, I have to pay travelling, I have my 2 sons in ACC high school, I can't carry my lime; I have to finish selling it. I need help that's all, we need help."

Reporter
"Sir, is there an agreement that you sign for a certain hour?"

Vendor
"Yes."

Andrea Polanco
"What's the agreement?"

Vendor
"The agreement is for the city council to find a solution for us."

Andrea Polanco
"Is there an agreement in terms of hours?"

Vendor
"Many years ago; 20 years ago I could tell you; the people knows my face. We use to sell on Monday and Tuesday by 12 noon we finish selling everything."

Andrea Polanco
"Yes, but I am asking for the agreement that you sign with the council."

Vendor
"We don't have that."

Vendor "In the past we didn't sign anything. They just give us hours now."

Andrea Polanco
"What's that hour?"

Vendor
"It's from 5 to 10 am."

Roger Espejo, City Councillor
"That's right. How sign that?"

Vendor
"That was not sign. That was just an agreement from yesterday."

Vendor
"They cannot come just yesterday and give us that agreement. What kind of nonsense is that?"

Vendor
"When we carry the products inside the people don't want to buy right away, we have to wait for the next day because people don't have money to spend. We need 2 days the least. So what we are begging for is help. We want one and a half day that's all. But we need solutions. We feel bad when they chase us. The traffic officers give us ticket if we don't move. We need solutions."

Andrea Polanco
"Did you get ticketed so far?"

Vendor
"My fellow vendors got ticket already just yesterday."

Vendor
"I just get a ticket. I come here to sell my things and now i get a ticket for $25."

Vendor
"All what we need is a little more time for us to sell our products."

Andrea Polanco
"Are you selling out here for a long time?"

Vendor
"I am out here from like 17 years old. That was when we were on the other side, then they move us to here."

Andrea Polanco
"So they didn't give you from 5 to 10 am?"

Vendor
"Well just yesterday that come around and when they come they come with pressure. And still the little time that they give us, the people fight with it."

Andrea Polanco
"So 5 - 10 am is not enough time for you to sell your stuff?"

Vendor
"It's not enough time, because from early people come out here, then it slowed down and then it start to pick up again because not everybody get their money at the same time. Everybody gets their money at different time then they come to buy their vegetables."

Andrea Polanco
"Like what hours will you all need for you to sell out yours things?"

Vendor
"I say like when it comes to Monday and Tuesday they should give us time until 5 o' clock. That is the only thing that can help them. Tuesday is my day, after that they can pack up and go because when it comes to Wednesday you don't have anything going on. Then when it comes back to Thursday evening again that's when everybody comes and then we would want to go up until Saturday again at least until around 4 o' clock."

Well as Selbert Butler tells us the law needs to be enforced and the schedule given to the vendors was no secret because it is something that they used to follow:

Andrea Polanco
"I think one of the biggest concerns about the vendors out here is that they were given such a short notice, that was yesterday that they tell that that they will need to be out here from 5 to 10 am. What do you have to say about this?"

Selbert Butler: Supervisor of Special Constable
"It's not really a short notice. If you could pan your camera towards those signs; those signs are permanent it's there for over 2 years or so. Those signs basically tells you when you could operate here so it's not a new thing. We are enforcing the laws. as we look in our country, there are a lot of laws that are not enforce and then people come back and say listen you need to enforce the law and that is what we are simply doing, we are enforcing the laws but I guess people want to do what they want to do and so when we enforce the laws there are a lot of things about it, but those signs are there for a long time so it's not a new thing. We came last night and inform them that they cannot be here because the signs are there, they know it because they use to operate within those signs and suddenly they decide they want to do what they want to do and as soon as we come here and say there are the signs, you need to do what the law says."

Just in time to hear the concerns of the vendors was Councilor Roger Espejo, who happened to be in the area when the angry crowd started venting :

Roger Espejo: City Councillor
"Our special constable team came in the area to enforce a policy that we have set. Some members of the vending community out here are displease but again we are only enforcing what is our police and what is our rule. As this area is set for wholesalers, the area over that side of the bridge is set for retailers. Now the wholesalers by virtue of paying for a space out here agree to only be out here up until 10 am. Its past 10 am, its already 11:30 now and some of them are still out here and hence the special constable team has come in the area to enforce. All of this has come out of the need to police the area more, make the area more trafficable and basically clear the congestion that happens in this area. You see some of these tents are as wide as 15 - 20 feet. They do infringe upon the public thereby dangering pedestrians, dangering other cyclist and we need to keep the area clear and this was something that also was spread also by the community. The community has clambered and beg the city council to do something about it because not only is congestion a problem but also nuisance, the noise nuisance that is created out here early in the morning. Some of these vendors are out here from about 3 am and 4 am in the morning. That creates a nuisance and the residents have complain about that that's its too much economic activity for an area that is designated as a residential area."

Andrea Polanco "So you heard the concerns and cries of the vendors here. Can you tell us if you know what the next step of the city council will be?"

Roger Espejo: City Councillor
"Well certainly we have heard several complaints out here; one - they need more notice, more time to see where they can relocate to; that's a reasonable request in my view and can only take that to the council and seek the council's wisdom on that. When these things happen they complain about all kind of different as well; the fees, they say that the fees are too high. We lose nothing at looking at them and reviewing them, but certainly I don't see any move and downward move in those fees. We have set those fees, the council operates at a break ever or even at a loss when it comes to this whole entire market operation and we can't be subsidizing these operations any more. We the council collect the hard earn tax dollars of all the citizens and residents of this city and we have to use them prudently. So I don't know about dropping any fees but certainly we will look into the time frame that they have to move and decide on that."

Up to this evening the wholesale vendors at the Queen Square Market hadn't found a solution but for now the law will be enforced, that is, they will not be allowed on the side of the street anytime after ten in the morning on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It is expected that the Belize City Council will meet sometime soon in order to address the issues of the wholesalers.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize