MONTEGO BAY, St James — Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie is urging councillors in St James to get their constituents to understand that once the refurbishing of the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay has been completed, no vending will be allowed on the city’s streets.

“I am urging councillors to engage the people in your divisions who are vendors, and even urge the shoppers not to engage with those who are selling in areas that are not designated for vending,” he appealed during Thursday’s monthly meeting of the St James Municipal Corporation.

On a daily basis, vendors can be seen lining the streets in the general market area and other spaces to ply their wares. They have long complained that the market has leaking roofs and drainage issues.

But McKenzie has committed to providing the funds to repair the roof, address the drainage issue, provide structural support and carry out expansion in some areas.

“We are spending in excess of a $100 million to renovate the Charles Gordon Market, to correct the drainage problems in the market,” McKenzie remarked.

“It can’t be that you spend this amount of money and at the end of the day the market is empty, you can’t get access to the road because vendors find it more convenient to sell on the road,” he chided.

The minister noted that even as work continues to provide a suitable space for vendors, there are some who are not prepared to abide by the rules and regulations, and instead opt to view the effort as strong arm measures against the working class.

“Whenever you try to enforce, the argument comes that these are poor people trying to make a livelihood and the mayor and the councillors them wicked, and the municipal police officers them wicked because they are trying to maintain public order,” said McKenzie stated.

He spoke of the need to sensitise vendors about the measures being taken and the reasons behind them.

“We have to use public persuasion, we have to educate our vendors,” he stressed.

According to McKenzie, the local government ministry will continue upgrading markets across the country because it is important work that needs to be done.

“Ninety-eight per cent of our markets are over 100 years old, we have to look at whether or not the present method of how we operate markets in a modern age is the way for us to go,” he said.