Jail the lawbreakers in Port of Spain ..

[Poser]

Businessmen given warningBy CAROL MATROO Sunday, June 10 2012



Port-of-Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing is warning bar owners along Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook to conform to the law regarding noise and garbage pollution, or face the brunt of the city’s law of intolerance to lawbreakers.
For several years now, residents along or neighbouring the Avenue have been complaining about the businesses and patrons, saying that they were unable to sleep peacefully and that their properties were being used as urinals, he said. (See Page 1B)

On Friday night, Lee Sing, along with members of the Environmental Management Agency and the Port-of-Spain City Public Health Department, City Medical Officer Dr Raj Narinesingh, Chief Building Inspector Raj Ramthal, acting Inspector Kester Billy and Superintendent Carlton Pedro, among others, paid a visit to several well known bars along the Avenue, where owners and managers were cautioned because they were operating outside the law. The businesses visited included Stumblin, Rosco’s, Crobar, Habana, Twist and Coco Lounge.

“I have been trying to get all these agencies to understand that they have to become interested in the plight of the burgesses in Woodbrook.

We will be able to walk together, particularly to those watering holes that are causing us grief and that the residents complain of on a consistent basis.

I want them to see for themselves precisely the arguments that I have been advancing about the state of Woodbrook, so that they would better understand that they have within their powers to do all that is necessary to remedy the situation before it becomes a cancer,” Lee Sing told members of the media.

He said it was important for the EMA to understand the noise challenges and for public health officials and the Fire Service to examine buildings that were designed to hold 40 people, but were catering for 200.

“People have got to start to do their work, and the only way a society would evolve to one of excellence and professionalism is if there is compliance to ensure that people behave and conform to law and order.

If you don’t comply and you don’t police and do your work, you will have the challenges that confront us as a society today,” Lee Sing said.

Chairman of the Woodbrook Residents Committee, Lynette Dolly, said the problems residents were encountering dealt with lawlessness that accompanied the businesses in the community.

“We have been putting up with, apart from the bad parking and urinating on the walls, when people leave the clubs on morning and they go to their vehicles, they have a party outside their cars as well. They make noise and carry on at 3 am and 4 am, and that is one of the things we cannot put up with,” she said.

Dolly added that with the proliferation of businesses with food, there was also an increase of rats and cockroaches because the food boxes are thrown all over afterwards.

“You should see here on a morning after, especially Saturday and Sunday mornings, the place is a mess and that is one of the things that we need to prevent. Why can’t people be civil and throw their garbage some place where it can be easily picked up?” she queried.

Dolly also noted that while some of the businessplaces carried restaurant licences, they also played loud music.

“They have karaoke and all sorts of things going on at two and three in the morning.

When they are finished in the morning and they are packing up their chairs they would make noise and play loud music, so you can’t sleep until about 6 o’clock in the morning, and this is every weekend.

“This has been going on for too long and it has gotten worse ... over the last three years or so it has gotten really bad.

It is intolerable. The mayor has been helping us to contain things a bit, so we are hoping that something can be done because the police are no help,” Dolly said.

Most of the popular clubs were warned of loud music — one was warned about selling alcoholic beverages on the pavement, others of encouraging patrons to lime on the pavement, thereby blocking pedestrians.

Most of the warnings came from acting Inspector Kester Billy, who said noise pollution and littering were their worse problems. The legal decibels to be played outside a nightclub was 65.

“Our presence here tonight is to marry business with the residents and have an amicable solution, so that both can live in unity and have mutual respect for each other. We understand that business must exists and it would help the revenue of Trinidad and Tobago, but we must understand that the oldest institution in the world is family,” he said.

All bar managers and owners listened and promised to make changes.

According to Lee Sing, “I will not wear the chain of the city and disrupt the lives of the people of Woodbrook. I will not allow people to disrupt the lives of the people of St James. I am going to do this exercise in St James and wherever we have to do it to re-establish compliance.”

Next week the mayor said they intend to focus on vendors selling on the pavement, including doubles and gyro vendors.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,161530.html

i admire what he wants to do .. get rid of the vendors and the lawbreakers .. they need to feel the full force of the law ... this is just one small step towards cleaning up Trinidad & Tobago ..

[shield_2006]

Ha!! I thought you was talking bout the ones on Nelson Street and Henry Street--

[snowbird]

While I agree with Louis.....I have to say that I find T&T a country of ...... contradiction.


.... Isn't this 'problem area' the same area slated to be the next 'tourist area'?..... with plans to add food booths, more liming area et al?

if memory serves me correctly..... when the plans were talked about a few months ago.... there was no mention of ..... additional parking areas.... or of erecting public washroom facilities.

Louis boy, yuh have yuh wuk cut out fer yuh..... an more comin dong de pipe.

[Mr Majik]

The problem of after-club liming can be easily remedied with a little police presence from about 3:00 on in the area.
Not hardcore, rough'em up policing. Just a couple of passbys with police cars urging party goers to head home. Of course, refusal could be met with some "disturbing the peace" charges or something similar.

Also, from my experiences with working the club scene I can say that music is a lot louder when the hall is empty, so I would encourage the owners to turn off, or down, their music once the event is over.

Another idea that comes to mind is the use of garbage dumpsters. I'm not sure if it is feasible in this case, but if it is the costs could be shared by the various businesses if they don't need a whole dumpster for themselves. Again, refusal to cooperate can result in charges. Most commercial sized packaging would identify the business it belongs to.