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'Tent city’ vendors will not be chased away – Hon. Vanterpool

The vendors have been occupying that area for a number of years. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - The vendors adjacent to the cruise ship dock, an area that goes by the moniker ‘tent city’, will not be chased away until an amicable agreement has been reached between the Ministry for Communications and Works and the vendors.

This is according to the subject Minister Hon. Mark Vanterpool, who holds the responsibility for the ports.

“We haven’t chased them away and we won’t be chasing them away until we have a solution for them. I don’t know how soon, but we know the drawings we saw were completed. There were some technical issues about the space that we were creating and the architect has gone back to review that… if all goes well we could be meeting with them in the next 30 days or so,” the Minister said in an interview after meeting with the staff of the Ports Authority on February 8, 2012.

The previous Government, the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) was also looking at an alternative location for the vendors.

Hon. Ralph T O’Neal, the then Premier, in May 2011 on VIP radio programme “Let’s Talk” disclosed that the vendors were squatting on the land they are currently occupying but even though there was no easy solution to the problem, he was working towards finding one.

“That promise I am prepared to honour it when we can get the necessary resources to do a place that would be used for that purpose.”

Hon. O’Neal had further stated that Government, as well as, the vendors themselves know that what is presented to the tourists, who arrive on the cruise ships, was not in keeping with what the country would like to see.

8 Responses to “'Tent city’ vendors will not be chased away – Hon. Vanterpool ”

  • NY Knights (10/02/2012, 09:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Really? Just give me the keys to the bulldozer and I will do the job for ayo. Just look at that picture, it is disgusting! This is what we continuing to depict when ports like St. Kitts, St. Martin and even Dominica are way ahead of us? Come on NDP, yall need to get away with those stupid k-mart tents and landscape the "white patch" as a temp. solution.
  • clear the air (10/02/2012, 09:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i knew NDP did not have the balss to move deeds people....
  • ummmmmmmmm (10/02/2012, 14:49) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    All these gassos have the same mentality..........I did not expect Mark to be any different!!!
  • under the bus (10/02/2012, 15:53) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    most of the vendors are island people just l;ike mark so wah you all expect??? island man looking out for each other while locals catching hell.
  • Nathan (10/02/2012, 23:58) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hon. Mark is an educated man. He knows the reality of life. Those people are seniors and have already contribute significantly to this country as I understand. I understand that locals are there too. Anyway, I'm sure Hon. Mark knows what he is doing as he is the ACTION MAN with good thinking abilities and will do what is best for this country. Go Mark!
  • mother earth (11/02/2012, 00:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    ndp please fix tis ting...


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