KSAC Relaxes No-Vending Rules Downtown for Christmas Shopping

The Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) will be temporarily relaxing its no-vending rules downtown, to accommodate the anticipated increase in commerce during the Christmas period.

From today (December 19) to January 3, vendors will be allowed to ply their wares on the sidewalks, as well as in areas normally designated no-vending zones.

Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor Angela Brown Burke, made the announcement at a press briefing today (December 19), held at the Council Chambers in downtown Kingston. She said the decision was arrived at following a planning meeting on Thursday (Dec. 18).

She informed that sidewalk vending will be allowed at the no-vending zones in South Parade, which are the areas across from the Kingston Parish Church, up to Big Tree at Orange Street; and Beckford, West, and Princess streets.

“The streets themselves, we’re going to make sure that those are free. We are going to make sure that our intersections are also free. We are going to make sure that individuals, who are walking on our sidewalks, are not walking in fear of a hanger taking their eyes out. We’re going to make sure that the utility cable that are there, that those are not used to hang things on,” she said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Steve McGregor, said the Kingston Central Police, along with the Kingston Western Police, the motorized police, as well as the traffic police will be monitoring the areas “every morning until nightfall until the 3rd of January”, adding that the police will be seen “at every turn”.

This, he said, is to ensure that persons will be able to traverse without hindrance and that police personnel can carry out their duties in an effective and efficient manner.

He informed however, that no vending will be allowed from any carts, or moveable vehicle, stressing that the only allowance will be vending on the sidewalks, “not along the roadways, not along the intersections”.

SSP McGregor also noted that persons will not be allowed to “hang (merchandise) anywhere,” especially on utility poles and wires, windows, grills, and shutters.

He warned that if the vendors do not comply with the instructions and directives given, “we might just have to recommend to the Mayor that we change the strategy and it might go back to what it was before.”

Vendors found selling in the streets will have their goods confiscated.