Market Hill Project Progress Delayed, Kiosks for Small Businesses Remain Government Focus, MP Toni Moore Confirms

The long-awaited Market Hill project to provide kiosks for small businesses remains a government priority, despite significant delays since its initial commitment four years ago, MP Toni Moore has told her St George North constituents.

Speaking at a Parish Speaks town hall meeting in St George on Monday night, Moore said: “Since 2020, that was one of the things that you raised with us. And it was committed to you under my colleague, who is now at the Ministry of Housing. We identified the area next to Rezult [Auto Shop] in that general area, which is NHC [National Housing Corporation] land, where we anticipated that we could be erecting some kiosks.”

While acknowledging the slow progress, she highlighted that some steps had been taken.

“The vending bill was passed, and that area has been put forward as one of the two areas in St George North where vending zones can be established,” Moore pointed out.

“We are deeply conscious of the urgency of getting as many of these vending zones done over the next year to 18 months. Planning arrangements have taken longer than we anticipated, but we are committed to making progress.”

Joining the government backbencher, Prime Minister Mia Mottley emphasised the urgency of creating safe and orderly vending zones across the island.

“As minister of finance, I’ve indicated that the government has to proceed with these vending zones as a matter of urgency. I feared that somebody would either be badly hurt or would lose their life as a result of people buying on the road,” she said.

The prime minister outlined progress on similar projects elsewhere on the island: “The project at Redman’s Village has started. The designs for the one at Warrens are being done. There was a temporary set of arrangements put in place at Newton to get vendors off the highway because people come down at speed on that highway.”

Stressing the need for order in vending practices, Mottley said while the government wanted people to earn, order is required.

“If you don’t have order, we’ve got chaos,” she said.

(RG)