St. James Municipal Corporation Says Vendors Must Sell In Designated Areas

The St. James Municipal Corporation has reaffirmed its commitment to tighten the measures on vendors who sell outside the designated areas in downtown Montego Bay, St. James.

Addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ held at the offices of the St. James Municipal Corporation in Montego Bay on November 8, Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Leeroy Williams, said there will be a crackdown on street vendors who continue to operate outside of the designated vending areas in the city.

“I would like to remind the vendors that vending should be done in the designated areas and to also remind them that St. James Street remains a no-vending street,” he noted.

Mayor Williams is advising registered vendors that they are only allowed to ply their wares at Lower Market Street, Church Lane, Lower Lawrence Lane, Lower Union Street, Lower Corner Lane, Orange Street and a section of St. Claver Avenue.

He pointed out that migrant vendors are primarily responsible for the congestion on  the streets of the city.

“The St. James Municipal Corporation remains committed to managing street vending in the downtown city space. However, vending continues to be a challenge, even though we have put structures in place to facilitate orderly vending. Itinerant vendors continue to flout the rules and regulations governing our city space. It is going to take a greater level of enforcement to get some semblance of conformity,” the Mayor said.

He called on vendors and other stakeholders to play their part “if we are to have public order in the city”.

Mayor Williams also reiterated the Municipal Corporation’s plan  to construct a multistorey vendors’ arcade on the site of the Old Shoe Market, located at the corner of St. James and Strand Streets in Montego Bay, which will benefit vendors.

He pointed out that funds to build the facility will be derived from the sale of the five-hectare Bogue Industrial Estate property.