Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of South West St Andrew, Dr Angela Brown Brown, has solicited the assistance of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCO) to build six shops for vendors on the outskirts of the DC Tavares Market at Three Miles, St Andrew.
The shops were handed over to the vendors on Saturday, who were appreciative of the gesture. The vendors will get the opportunity to start selling their products from the shops in the upcoming week, after the installation of doors.
“We did it as part of the development of the community. It was something that we discussed with them and that they really spoke to us about wanting so that instead of just the tarpaulin and just the piece of stick hang up, they can have a nice little place to sell their goods and produce.
“It was made possible by a generous allocation from TPDCO and we decided that this is something that we could do. Persons pass and don’t understand that it is a viable market. People are not here during the week mainly, but Friday, Saturday, it is really abuzz with activities,” Brown Burke said.
She said she is hoping that the nearby Majesty Gardens community will play a role in the viability of the shops, by reducing violence, which has caused a reduction of customers at the DC Tavares Market over the years.
Pandora Richards, who has been selling in the area for about 10 years, said the vendors starting selling on the outside of the DC Tavares Market, while the construction of a housing scheme in Majesty Gardens was taking place.
The vendors had use sticks and tarpaulin to construct stalls close to the market, to continue to serve the community and other buyers who wanted to shop in the Three Miles area.
“We were in the market before and afterwards, they were doing a housing scheme down there, so we didn’t want to leave the area, we didn’t want to leave the people, we want to serve them. So we came out here and do our own thing.
“It was not suitable, but that’s what we could do until now the MP saw us and say it’s enough and they are going to give us something better and this is it, so we are thankful and grateful for it,” Richards said.
