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‘One or two people can’t spoil the party’ – Hon. Vanterpool on cruise pier vendors

-sees no defiance in vendors’ actions; structures to be removed completely
Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool said the cruise pier vendors' acts were defeating for the long term while adding that it’s an education process as far as the Ministry was concerned. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – While he has explained that he sees no defiance in the actions taken by vendors at the cruise pier area, Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool insists that the vendors will ultimately be removed from the area to accommodate a planned cruise pier park.

“It’s an issue where we have to sit with the vendors over there and understand, from their perspective what is happening,” Hon Vanterpool said in an exclusive interview with this news site.

He explained that there were two or three vendors that also had activities at the Crafts Alive Village, “we want to discontinue [this].”

The Works Minister added, “We also want to discontinue the appearance that they are presenting at the cruise ship pier’s gate… that we’re not happy with that was there before.”

He further explained that this would be examined in addition to the temporary buildings that are currently in place at the cruise pier with a view to removing the structures completely.

“We’re going to be addressing the taxi stand issue and ensuring that they have a taxi stand in the area,” Hon. Vanterpool stated, “but the rest of it… they’re not going to be part of the picture, in fact, that area we hope in the future that it becomes part of the cruise ship pier park.”

Businesses have to get with the programme

“You have to try to put yourselves in people’s place… it’s a business for them,” Hon. Vanterpool said, “they’ve been seizing the opportunity and they have to understand that we have a certain presentation we want to make… they have to fit into that programme.”

Ultimately for them, he added, they’re business people and want to make some money. “At the same time they have to understand that they can be destroying the very same thing that we’re trying to build up to help them to make some money… they’re probably looking short term.”

“We’re looking in the long term context and in the broader context of how can they in the long term earn better by presenting a better look to the tourists as they enter the area [coming off] the ships…”

“They think that they’re doing a great thing but they don’t understand that they’re destroying the very same thing similar to what was happening [on the opposite side]… everybody thought that the tents were what the tourists were looking for… ”

Hon. Vanterpool stated that the act was defeating for the long term and said it’s an education process as far as the Ministry was concerned. “We as government have to have our plans in place to help them to, in the long run, gain from it and understand what we’re trying to do and ultimately present what we think should be the vision and impression that tourists take away from the Territory.”

“One or two persons can’t spoil the party,” he said.

When asked about the vendors’ complaints regarding a need for entertainment in the area, Hon. Vanterpool said, “We’re discussing that within the context of a Crafts Alive Centre Management that will begin to look at entertainment, maintenance, beautification, etc.” He explained that a structure is being set up to deal with all of this.

In addition to this, signage that was missing for some time at the Crafts Alive Village will be re-installed as well as directional signs around the area to assist tourists in finding the location easily. This, he said, will be done in the next few weeks, in time for the opening of the centre.

Hon. Vanterpool added that the development of a tour guide will be looked at as well for tourists as they disembark the ship, “we’re working with the taxi groups to look at the possibility of… when they’re on their way to a tour outside of the city that they make a stop outside of the Crafts Alive before going on the rest of the tour.”

Pedestrian friendly Road Town

According to the Works Minister, there are also measures afoot to make the area of Road Town even more pedestrian friendly. There will be additional crosswalks added that will be more pronounced, he said, “at the Crafts Alive there will be one that is raised… wider sidewalks, similar to the one that we just built at Crafts Alive, wider sidewalks and higher sidewalks so that people are more comfortable walking along.”

He noted that there will also be more trees added to the landscape, additional fountains, “those types of things that sound very small and simple, but go a long way in making the experience of walking through Road Town easier and more accessible”.

The sidewalks, which he expressed that his Ministry are currently unhappy about, will also be reviewed with the aim of making them more wheelchair accessible and safer for motorised vehicles utilising them.

 

11 Responses to “‘One or two people can’t spoil the party’ – Hon. Vanterpool on cruise pier vendors”

  • insider (04/02/2013, 07:34) Like (2) Dislike (13) Reply
    Not to worry Mark something will stop you!!!
    • downs (04/02/2013, 17:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Corruption against corruption has the lord wondering what is going on in this small island of ours.
  • Outsider (04/02/2013, 08:39) Like (3) Dislike (12) Reply
    it have 4 vendors at craft alive that want to own the whole place if u look at they faces u see pure
    greed and envy. no body but them alone must get any sale and any thing u selling they want to sell
    also .all of the vendors could club up and get live music since they not paying rent as yet . they want mark to do everything .and nearly all of them owe tax and social security bam. bam
  • egg face (04/02/2013, 09:51) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Mark or Mark that is all i will say for now!!
  • ------------ (04/02/2013, 10:14) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    I want a range rover too
  • ooooo (04/02/2013, 10:52) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    is this the minister of piece here talking?
  • cnn (04/02/2013, 16:58) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    THE CONTINUED NDP BULLYING STRATEGY
  • ABC (04/02/2013, 22:10) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    Mark probably means well but it is clear that this Cruise pier park will eventually distroy his credibility and ruine his career as a politician. One can understand need but greed is inexcusable. What is being done has nothing to do with the well being of Br. Virgin Isladners.
  • dog (04/02/2013, 23:18) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    you can sit and try and "understand" these people or you can apply the laws even-handedly. Why are vendors still at the dock and why are they using the taxi stand which should be a taxi stand? Government has to have the discipline to enforce the laws so people learn. And if one or two people have multiple booths at Crafts Alive and cruise ship, that is tantamount to monopoly and should be illegal. Does a permit mention how many units one can have?

    Finally, why do we need fountains to pretty up the place? I would think that the recycling of the water would soon evaporate the water and more will have to replace it. If we can't even clean the restrooms, what makes us think that fountains can be maintained too??
  • DarkVader (05/02/2013, 00:55) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    Can't understand some of you backward thinking people at all. Listen, it have young intelligent people in this sland who wants to see it advance. Most of you on here blogging still living in the 18th century. I don't understand how some if you could say this will hurt the minister credibility. He is trying to improve our tourism product so when financial services fails us we have something to keep us from sinking..greed? I don't see any greed in this. All you need to open your eyes and understand where our country is going. Right now for how some of us talking, I would wish England would send in their people. Some of u say we are living in hell now, humm let England come in, some of us would want to e in hell.
    • ABC (05/02/2013, 14:51) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Don't wish that England would come in now, as many of our so call Ministers and their cronnies would take up residence at BALO.


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