KINGSTON, Jamaica — Mayor Andrew Swaby says the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) will be taking steps to tackle the ongoing sewage challenge on Beckford Street in the downtown Kingston commercial district.

Crews from the KSAMC conducted clean-up activities on Beckford Street on Sunday, with representatives from the National Water Commission (NWC) and the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) present to assess the area.

“I understand the concerns of the vendors, and we are trying to see how best we can alleviate those concerns within a limited space because one has to understand that there is a sewage issue in downtown as a whole, and we are trying to see how we can work with it until the Government has had the master plan rolled out,” Swaby said.

Regarding the lighting issue, he said JPS representatives are expected to return this week to rectify it.

Noting that the KSAMC is also trying to restore law and order on Beckford Street, Swaby urged vendors to stay within the areas allocated to them to ensure order is maintained in the space.

“We need to have the roadway clear. We need to make sure that in the middle of the road there is no tarpaulin in the middle of the road. We need to allow for vehicular traffic that can move at any time. God forbid anything can happen at any time, and the police, the fire or anyone themselves might need free access, and that’s what we are trying to achieve here today. We are trying to bring some law and order back on Beckfield Street,” he explained.

Keisha, a vendor who has been operating in the space for more than 25 years, welcomed the clean-up initiative.

“It’s a good look because our problem was, we didn’t know that we were going to get the opportunity to set back in our table and so forth. So that was an issue. So now we get to understand that it’s just a cleaning-up campaign before Labour Day. We’re quite happy because we want the place to be clean,” she said.