Consumers urged to utilise refurbished Papine Market

Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby, is urging householders to visit the newly refurbished Papine Market in St Andrew and make purchases from vendors operating inside the facility.

He urged them not to purchase goods from vendors who are operating outside the designated vending areas.

"Buying from vendors who sell on the streets or sidewalks makes it harder to maintain the clean, safe and organised environment we are building," he said.

"We have made real progress in upgrading the Papine Market and with your support, we can continue to make it a place that vendors and shoppers are proud of. Let us work together to protect and sustain these improvements by supporting the vendors who are operating properly inside the market," he appealed.

Swaby was addressing Tuesday's monthly council meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation held at the corporation's offices in downtown Kingston. Swaby said that several long-standing issues relating to the improvement of the market and vendors have been resolved with the refurbishing work as well as rehabilitation of the surroundings.

"We have relocated the garbage facility to a more convenient location, preserving the market aesthetics. I believe it will also minimise the issue of illegal dumping as well as provide easier accessibility for waste collection. We embarked on a major clean-up operation of all the areas of the market, including the ceiling, and pest control measures were also administered to protect infrastructure as well as to ward off rodent infestation," he informed.

"We also have refurbished the sanitary convenience in the market. The layout of the market was also modified to improve accessibility; vending spaces were marked accordingly, as vendors are now operating in assigned spaces. We enhanced the market appearance with fresh paint and murals by local artists," he noted further.

Swaby said these improvements are part of the ongoing commitment to creating markets that meet high standards of service, hygiene and support the modern business environment. However, he noted that there are still more issues to be addressed.

"Parking continues to be a challenge. We need to clear the road to ensure better access to the hospital. We will be meeting with stakeholders to explore possible options to enable us to provide more convenient parking for vendors and shoppers alike," he said.