Today a group of street side vendors were irate with the City Council and the administration at Queen Square Primary school, after they were removed by officers from in front of the school yesterday. According to the vendors, no one informed them about the move until it was actually happening - and now the area they are now placed is causing them to lose business. Today 7news stopped by in the area to get the story.
Monica Bodden reporting
These vendors were once stationed here in front of Queen Square Primary School, but yesterday they were relocated by the City Council and claims without any reason.
Vendor
"They told all of us that we need to move. They didn't give us a reason why we are supposed to move. I believe that they at least should have come and talk to us and tell us that we need to move or something because we have been selling out here for years. We just see the City Council workers patrolling the area and it just so happens that one of the guys with the crowd was a friend of ours and we ask him what was the problem and he just said that the principal keep calling the office."
72 year old Elisa Flowers has been selling snacks to the students of Queen Square Primary School for over 20 years.
Elisa Flowers - Vendor
"Sometime you hardly sell anything here."
Monica Bodden
"Did they give you a reason why they move you guys?"
Elisa Flowers - Vendor
"No, they didn't tell us anything. They just came and told us to move."
Monica Bodden
"One of the vendors told me that one reason they gave her is the sweets that you guys sell, but I see here that you have plums and different types of things here."
Elisa Flowers - Vendor
"I just got sweets, I was selling sweet. I sell oranges and golden plums."
The vendors all agree that this move is causing them to lose business.
Vendor
"I have kids in school; primary school and pre-school. We make our money honestly. It's not like they have a job to give us. I graduate first in my class, this June I graduated with a 89 average. I have the qualification but to go out there and look for a job; running up and down looking or a minimum wage job - we create our own business, we are entrepreneurs. I've been selling out here for 7 years. It's not like I got up today and decided to sell; there is no job. If they have a job to give me I would really appreciate a job."
Monica Bodden
"You've been selling tacos here at the school for 15 years. Now you have move a little farther away from the school. Tell me how this is affecting business for you?"
Tacos Vendor
"It affects me because a lot of people use to see me before and now they don't see me."
Monica Bodden
"What was the reason for the move? What did they tell you? Why did you have to move?"
Tacos Vendor
"I don't know."
Monica Bodden
"No one explain why they were moving you?"
Tacos Vendor
"I don't have any problem with anybody. I pay my taxes well."
Vendor
"They can't say that the kids are buying too many sweets, we've been selling sweets for years. I think it's just that the new principal in the area cause us to move because if they want to buy sweets... we all eat sweets, we grew up eating sweets."
Monica Bodden
"You guys are not only selling sweets right?"
Vendor
"No, we sell food, ideal, water, orange, golden plum, mangoes - any fruits in season we sell. It's not only the sweet we sell; if the kids don't want to buy the sweet they can always buy the fruits."
Vendor
"If affects me because of the move over this side. I don't sell anything here. I have 2 sons in high school and its expensive to send them to school. My husband works but he doesn't make too much money. I pay rent and water and a lot of other bills."
But one major concern for even area residents is the fact that these primary school students now cross this main street to go buy a snack.
Area Resident
"Yesterday while coming with my food 2 or 3 kids were crossing the street, the vehicle had to brakes sudden because the kids crowd the street and they are just running across the street to buy. I said to myself why they are bringing the kids over this side. Today I decide
to ask the school warden why one of them doesn't come by the lane during break or lunch time? The warden told me that that is not her job and that her job is to take care of the kids inside the school yard. I told her that her job is to take care of them until they leave the school in the evening. I told her that she sit down all day powdering her face and reading books and she should have seen yesterday that a car nearly knock down two kids - she just blows me off."
Some of these vendors have been doing business in front of the school for over 10 years.
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