Vehicle Vendors Up In Arms in Sugar City

Vehicle vendors in Orange Walk are up in arms after the Orange Walk Town Council moved forcefully to remove them from where they are parked near the Central Park. It’s not a new problem, and dates back to 2012, but while the vendors have played hard-ball, the Council hasn’t – until now, that is. Today Police paid a visit to the illegally parked vendors to inform them that they have one week to move, or they will be moved.

Via Phone: Kevin Bernard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“Basically this is a continuation of a decision that the council had made in early 2012. As you may recall there was the situation where we were relocating these vehicle vendors that were selling all sorts of parts and tools in front of the park, in the parks’ public spaces. The Council over the two years has been in back and forth conversation with these individuals and at some point it came to a stop. They had been informed both by myself, the Council and in other consultation meetings that were held while the BMDP project was taking place as well. In those discussions, I can tell you that these vendors had been informed that they would need to relocate. I must make it absolutely clear that from the very onset these people are not even paying a cent to be parking at these prime public spaces. We believe the park is not an area for vending when it comes to these types of business that they carry out. The park is for family oriented activities where the people can come and enjoy, the kids can come and play and have safety for our children. We as a responsible council signed on to certain child-friendly municipal initiatives where there must be safety for our children in public spaces.”

Kevin Bernard

Mike Rudon

“Will the Council continue to use the Police to move these vendors?”

Via Phone: Kevin Bernard

“We have spoken to the Police. The Police have today gone to visit with the vendors, informing them of the regulation that was passed in August. In fact these regulations were submitted to the Ministry of Transport from August of 2012, but they were never published in the gazette until June, July, August of 2014. So even then we decided to leave them there for now. We informed them that the park would be renovated and they needed to be removed. They did not remove themselves from the area while the construction was taking place. They still insisted thinking that they would have been given a free ride to come back to the Park, so the council has asked the Police for their assistance, and like I said the Police went and informed them that they have up until Monday to remove from the park otherwise the Police will take the necessary steps that need to be taken to remove them from there.”

According to Mayor Bernard the vendors have been given the option of moving to another suitable site near the Barracks.