Corporate Area markets to get improved bathrooms

In a recent Cleaner City Committee meeting at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Chief Public Inspector Grayson Hutchinson disclosed the dire need for action regarding the deplorable conditions at the Cross Roads and Coronation markets.

Hutchinson revealed that he had recommended the closure of these markets due to their conditions, only to be met with a surprising announcement from the mayor. Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby has declared that there will be a $25 million allocation to fix seven bathrooms between the two popular markets.

"It was our intention to enforce the regulations, fortunately we observe that the new mayor would have gone to the Cross Roads Market and made the commitment for work to be done to improve the market, so we await the work to be done," stated Hutchinson, emphasising the importance of a cleaner city. The last temporary closure of Coronation Market in downtown Kingston occurred on January 29, to facilitate emergency sewage works carried out by the National Water Commission in collaboration with the KSAMC.

Our news team visited both markets, where vendors expressed their concerns over how the potential closures would affect their livelihoods.

"We want better bathroom facilities, yes, but if I don't sell for even one day, it will set me back. I alone send my children to school, and I'm sickly, so there are medical bills too," shared a vendor who identified herself only as Sue.

At the Coronation Market, most facilities were closed, except for one, which vendors and customers alike indicated was one of the better bathrooms. Lurlina Riley, who has been the bathroom attendant for more than two decades, stressed the urgent need for upgrades.

"The bathroom wasn't like this. We fixed it," she explained, referring to her mother's efforts in maintaining the facility before she became the attendant. Riley highlighted their struggle in getting support from market authorities, forcing them to take matters into their own hands. The floor of the bathroom that Riley tends to was tiled, as opposed to the other bathrooms. She also has workers to operate the bathroom for 24 hours, except on Sundays.

"We would feel so much better because we need a lot of things in there. We want some dispensers on the wall because if we leave the bottles of soap, people take them home to bathe," added Nicole Lewis, Riley's daughter, who also works as an attendant. Visitors to the facilities reported having to catch water in buckets to flush toilets, indicating the dire state of the infrastructure.

"My mother was the one who put in the toilets because the old ones were in a very deplorable condition but the same people who use it destroy it so that's why they have to do that," Lewis explained.

Despite scepticism from some shoppers regarding the likelihood of renovations, pointing out that there has been none since around 2010, vendors remain hopeful that the current mayor will prioritise addressing these critical issues.