New toll road worries Clarendon Park vendors

On any given day, Eric and Rosalyn McGregor can be seen selling their water coconuts and other items in Clarendon Park area. They have occupied the spot for the past 18 years, and the thought of relocating never crossed their minds until recently.

The vendors are worried that the opening of the new section of Highway 2000, from May Pen in Clarendon to Williamsfield, Manchester, could threaten the viability of their business.

"Mi nah bash the move to have a new toll road but we start feel it from before it open. We have lease to pay a year time and if the sale continue to drop, we nuh have much choice. This stall help to take care of our family for years, so mi just a pray that we nuh lick too bad," Eric said.

The new road allows commuters to bypass communities such as Clarendon Park, Osborne Store, Toll Gate, Scott's Pass and Porus. Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Thursday announced that motorists will travel for free on the road until year-end. Not surprisingly, vendors in the affected communities are bracing for a fallout. On Wednesday, a day before the official opening of the highway, Rosalyn was among many persons who pondered their fate. She clasped her hands to her mouth before stating that this new development will hamper even big businesses.

"People stop to buy dem jelly and honey and nuts on a daily basis, but we a guh lose a lot of the customers now. People gonna glad fi di highway because nuh bag a turn not on it like the main road. God help us!" she said.

The Clarendon vendor's situation brought into sharp focus the impact of road development on commercial activities when highly traversed communities are bypassed through the construction on new thoroughfares. In December 2021, this newspaper reported that about 80 per cent of vendors operating at the Faith's Pen food arcade in St Ann have locked shop since the north-south leg of Highway 2000 opened in 2014. The once popular rest stop sits between Mount Rosser in St Catherine, and Moneague in St Ann. However, traffic volume on the road has slowed due to the opening of the highway that allows commuters to bypass the area.

In Clarendon on Wednesday, business appeared to be in full swing for some small vendors who operate in the vicinity, but fruit vendor Odane said this flow of sales may end soon. He said that fewer vehicles were already using the space and the official opening of the toll road is going to dwindle his operations even more.

"It a guh mash wi dung wicked man and mi know it nah go happen, but mi a wonder if di officials can give us a little bly make we gwan sell on the highway, because this highway ting a go put we down on we face. It is a good ting di government do to build the highway, but the little vendor dem like mi a go suffer. We already a feel it out here already because the sales start dip. People start drive on the highway before it open," he said.

The Mocho, Clarendon resident said he is already thinking about other options to earn an income.

"Mi a think 'bout making a stall and put it at mi gate and lessen the days dem weh mi come out here come sell because mi know there are going to be times when nothing nah go sell. Some a mi customers dem already start tell mi say a highway dem ting deh, suh to make ends meet more, mi a go all do some construction site work too," Odane said.

The concerns were the same for sweet sop and guinep vendor Terry.

"From the other day mi a wonder how we a go manage because people glad fi smooth road, suh nuh sales nah go gwan round her like one time. We have a set of customers who buy from us daily and we just have to make up our minds to lose them for a while. Thing is, not everyone going to be able to maintain the toll fees every day, so probably after two months dem a go drive pon di regular route again," Terry said.