Angry vendors confront B.T.B., City Council

Just when we thought the cruise ship mess had been straightened out, we are reminded it’s not over till it’s over. The venue for the latest round in the controversy was the temporary vendor’s area in Memorial Park.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting

It’s an industry that has increased six hundred percent this year and expected to grow another three hundred in 2003. But as cruise tourism booms, the people on the ground appear to have been caught off guard and recent incidents have been international embarrassments.

This morning, approximately forty hair braiders, taxi drivers and vendors met at the Memorial Park to discuss their numerous concerns. According to Belize Tourism Board’s Anthony Mahler, licensing is an issue.

Anthony Mahler, Belize Tourism Board

“We now have to work with everybody involved to organize the situation outside of the village so that everybody can make a decent living. And we’re prepared to do that. We’ve done training with everybody working outside the village. We’ve bought tents for them to be in the Memorial Park. And that was a decision made by the City Council; we don’t have the jurisdiction over that, on who gets a vendor’s licence and where they can be located.”

The City Council solution to the behavioural problems and congestion on the street was to move everybody into the Memorial Park.

Vendor #1

“If we are being removed, what happen to the people on Albert Street? Every corner you go, you find people selling on the street, so why aren’t they being removed? If it is a traffic violation here it’s a traffic violation in downtown Belize City too.” (vendors applaud)

Rene Trujillo

“The problem that we are encountering at this time is between the strip from City Hall to the Tourist Village. We are not focussing on Albert Street as yet, we realise as well, because we have been getting concerns from residents about them, as we realise it’s another step that we have to look into. But in the meantime, we are creating a bottleneck between City Hall and the Tourist Village and we need to take measures to alleviate that problem.”

A permanent location, the Old Belize City Market, is being renovated for vendor use…but even that idea is caught in controversy.

Rene Trujillo

“The property is being leased to Mr. Feinstein on certain conditions and regulations. (Audience murmuring)…Let me finish. I think it is very unfair that you all are jumping to conclusions, assuming certain things, but the mayor has leased this property under certain conditions that the street vendors who are presently out there, or who are presently moved to this location here, are given first reference, are given priority to get into that section of the village under certain fees. That cannot overcharge you; they are given a price range as to what they can charge these vendors.”

According to Rene Trujillo of the Belize City Council, it will take unity solve these issues.

Rene Trujillo

“We realize that this is a problem that we cannot deal with on our own. We have attempted to deal with it through our enforcement officers, but all those who are not following regulations that we have put forth, and it’s not working out. So we need the support from the Belize police, and I understand what your concern is, because I know that there are only a few of the street vendors that are actually causing the negative vibes that are happening out at the Tourism Village.”

But as the gathering dissolved, many questions remained as mini-meetings popped up with various groups cornering selected representatives. But there does appear to have been some progress…

Llewellyn Martinez, Vice President, Tour Belize

“While it’s going to be business as usual tomorrow, we will also make sure that we have an education programme for our group so that we can make sure that everybody’s qualified to run tourists, and we’re also going to make sure that we have proper vehicles to transport tourists from point A to point B and wherever the tourist wants to go.”

Come cruise ship day Wednesday, cooperation and compliance with the rules will be the name of the game. If not even more drastic measures will be entertained.