STREETSIDE hairdressers in downtown Kingston say they are convinced that the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) has no plans to relocate them and only want them off the streets.

In July 2006, the KSAC — under the mayorship of Desmond McKenzie now minister of local government — met with the hairdressers and had given them a two-month deadline to get certified.

The KSAC had also reported that the Jamaica Hairdressers Association had agreed to work with the hairdressers in assisting them to acquire certification, through the HEART Trust/NTA.

Additionally McKenzie had also stated that a business entity was working with the KSAC to find a location that could accommodate about 100 booths for the hairdressers, who would work on shifts.

But on Wednesday the hairdressers, who were busy working on Orange Street, told the

Jamaica Observer that they were still waiting to hear from the KSAC about where the municipality was with the HEART certification and plans for an alternative work site.

“Dem nuh waan carry we go nowhere, a get dem waan get we off the streets. A trick dem a try trick we,” one hairdresser, who identified herself as Noodles, said.

“Dem tell we seh dem did a go help we get certified at HEART fi free and then dem tell we seh we affi pay $7,000,” she added.

But despite that Noodles said, “Nuff girls go get dem certification and come back and all now dem nuh get nowhere fi we.”

According to Noodles, many of her colleagues would prefer to be at a central location.

“Wi want a building up inna di spotlight,” another hairdresser, Safia, said. “Wi prefer to be in the heart ah town because nobody don’t waan to go too far.

“If dem a go put wi too far, it a go slow up wi business because you know right weh wi deh we always a si people an’ a girl can just walk in a shop and buy hair and come out and you do har hair,” she said further.

Yet, another hairdresser said that they “would a really like a place to go where we have running water, light and where we have bathroom for our customers because some people nuh really like to do their hair on the roadside”.

“So, maybe if we have a building we would get some more customers,” she added.

But she said that, while it would be good to move, a number of her colleagues are not too keen to relocate as they would be required to start paying bills “while it free to work on the road”.

When asked how much she makes, on average, she said on a good day she can make up to $10,000.

One hairdresser, Natalie — who was not in support of the relocation — said: “Yah suh better. Di only thing we would a want a some disposable toilets fi wi customers dem because we can get water in the lane and we can go pay $50 fi use a plug and we can go buy a cup a water in a Burger King fi $50 and use dem bathroom.”

She said that sometimes business is not good and they hardly make any money and would not be able to pay fees they suspect would come with relocating.

“And when people nuh have nuh money dem a go lock wi out and change the lock like how dem do di people dem inna the arcade on Matthews Lane,” another hairdresser said.

The KSAC in 2006 reported that there were an estimated 600 hairdressers operating on the city’s sidewalks in downtown Kingston.