The decision to spend $1b to repair Coronation Market is very wrong. Is this another attempt to syphon cash to corrupt KSAC politicians and the adjoining Tivoli garrison? This money will feed squalor, exploitation of market traders, patrons and the protection racket which milks downtown businesses. Wake up JMA, JCC! Why is Cabinet investing $1b on your doorstep? To help you? Is it the best use of the money? Do you have a view?

Kingston is a lovely city, but its markets do not serve the people who now live, work and shop there. Our markets are a legacy of the British and the goodly Sir John Peter Grant who followed the infamous Governor Eyre and who made many changes to serve Kingston’s 100k residents; some 300k of us by 1960 and today the markets serve 1m people!

The noble part of Kingston is within the 1705 boundaries – Harbour, East, West and North streets and all markets were at the city limits based on congestion and public order. Incidentally, the law must ensure that no stone is moved in this area as it is the priority for restoration. By what criteria do we locate arcades and markets today? The vestry (parish council) protected the army’s parade ground (Grant Park) – the terminus of carriages, drays and tramcars – prime to street vendors, and there was and is conflict to this day!

Coronation, Jubilee, Solas, Chigger Foot, Redemption, Brown’s Town are historic markets which served the city. All produce arrived from the north, east and west by truck, tractor, dray and railway. The Pechon Street slaughter house supplied meats and wholesalers (citrus, banana) were near the rail siding. Kingston has grown by 300 per cent since those days, but the state has not re-visioned its network of markets. The colonial model broke down in the 20th century as by then markets were within the new city limits, violating the usual planning canon.

Our state inherited services, ran many into the ground as it ignored their underlying logic. In 1973 London moved its massive Covent Garden fresh produce market from the city centre (the city grew to encircle it) to the periphery based on the same canon – the environment, traffic, access and sanity. We put a nest of arcades and markets in our city centre! Why? The confluence of vendors, crops, fish, meat, imported goods, patrons and money generates “hubbub” seven days a week, skews the character of Kingston and mars our centre of business, culture, government and quality of life.

We have forgotten that the city is more than a place to buy and sell. Our city is no longer a place of wonder and magic or a special visit. The reality is, people now avoid Kingston. We can change this! And the PSOJ and downtown businessmen must speak up now!

Our markets were gradually surrounded by the city and hordes of traders and layabouts gave Kingston a new dynamic, and predators on traders, patrons and commerce took root. Parade and Race Course (Heroes Circle) land was “sold” by conmen to country people and drug stores sold miracles – “oil a life”, ” mus marry me oil” and “duppy chaser”, and soon markets became a hub of crime and destabiliser of downtown and the entire city!

Cabinet is irresponsible to spend $1b on the Coronation Market without a study on a new market model for Kingston, and Minister Tufton must strongly oppose this move. For 40 years supermarkets have used branches and local outlets. Our Cabinet should know that to decentralise is best for consumers, business and the city. They need a retail consultant and an expert from Grace, as the $1b can deliver a new supply chain model for fresh produce and refurbish the market network to serve Kingston beyond 2030.

Coronation Market and the new arcade are the feeding tree for crime, the cash flow of Tivoli bad men and an incubator of conflict and violence. It is no-man’s land between the formal commercial hub and garrisons to the west. It is a sin to make consumers and farmers run this criminal gauntlet to buy and sell food. Cabinet and the KSAC do not respect working people. They must now decentralise markets, improve the shopping experience for consumers and give city residents a break! Here’s what they might do:

Cabinet must review the demographics of our city to 2030 and embrace community markets. These encourage community pride, better security and caring as people will take ownership for their local market. Consider the following:

* Incentivise consumers to shop in their community and avoid the pressure on downtown markets. It avoids congestion, saves fuel, spares our environment and reduces the crowding in which crime thrives. Well-sized community markets can be better policed, managed, maintained and are more personal. Most of the city’s fresh food comes from the west and we must manage this supply chain to feed into six modern community markets. The smaller volumes from the northern and eastern parishes must follow this regime too.

* The six community markets (and people served) may be: in the west, Portmore (100k), Coronation (200k); the east, Brown’s Town/Manley (100k); midtown, Cross Roads (50k); the north, Papine (100k) and Constant Spring (100k). Arcades and specialist markets for craft, fish, meats and dry goods lead to squalor, crime, and must also be reviewed. The convergence of multiple markets in Kingston introduces too much instability in the nation. Burnt-out Solas should become our Museum of Independence, not more shops!

* Redesign the logistics and supply chain and use trader licensing and stall allocation to route farm produce to the six market nodes before they pass through Spanish Town.

*Allocate stall space to ensure that each market has a good produce mix and variety.

*The Kingston abbatoir is obsolete. The Jamaica Livestock Association’s plan for Amity Hall FDA processing plant can provide beef to markets, supermarkets, hotels and for export. Meat and fish must be decentralised as it is a public health risk for consumers to travel for hours over the city with fresh meats and fish in our climate! Cabinet can do much better by our people!

* Introduce display standards (no produce on the ground!), multi-level, lockable rack space, and train traders in safety, sanitation and customer service before giving permits. Some stalls must be kitted out for meat, fish and flowers. Please use the $1b slated for Coronation Market to gift our city a 21st century network of markets! Even if it’s a start.

Double standard

Caricom’s double standard in pressing the US to extradite a Venezuelan, Cuban, US citizen to a non-Caricom land, when they did not pressure Bruce to send Dudus to America is worrying. Is this cowardice? Stupidity? Corruption? Or a suck-up to power?

Dr Franklin Johnston is an international project manager with Teape-Johnston Consultants, currently on assignment in the UK.

franklinjohnston@hotmail.com