The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL businesses that have been allowed to re-open this week drew long lines and scores of customers. Auto parts stores are allowed to operate on Tuesdays as the prime minister outlined they could open from 8am to 5pm. When The Tribune visited yesterday, some customers expressed the need to have the stores open more than just once a week.

There was a long line at AID on Wulff Road, which wrapped around the side gates of the store going towards the old Bahamas Academy building, but shoppers reported that the line was moving quickly.

AID/NAPA at Baillou Hill Road only had about 20 people on the line but those waiting said one person was being let in at time. Gary Williams was there for 45 minutes for car parts as his vehicle was causing him some trouble. He said it was the third store he came to that day looking for what he needed. He said if he couldn’t find it, then he would have to wait until next week, which frustrated him.

“From my understanding, parts stores only open on Tuesday. So if I don’t get it today then I can’t seek it out again until next Tuesday - that don’t make any sense.”

At Whim Automotive Ltd, the line reached almost to the back of the building but some customers were able to skip the long lines by ordering parts online and picking up their orders at the store. Store representative Marvin Whitley told The Tribune that their online service has seen an increase since the COVID crisis began.

There was a large crowd at SunCash on East Street with people trying to collect their National Insurance Board (NIB) unemployment benefits.

Tents and barricades were set up outside the money transfer company but people claimed they were in the sun for hours before they got under the shade. Social distancing was barely practiced, with many people standing almost shoulder to shoulder, and customers were particularly frustrated at the fact that operations stopped around 1 pm as many people were still waiting from that morning.

Dwayne Wair told The Tribune he had been waiting from eight o’clock but the store did not open until 10. He claimed that SunCash was not “organised” and questioned the move to have unemployment payments be sent to that company for collection.

“NIB was much smoother than this. I don’t know who thought of this. They sure wasn’t thinking,” he said.

“You came to get some money to pay a bill and you spend all your time here. You still can’t pay a bill because the place close a little while because of the curfew.”

Another man, Stephan Rutherfod said he walked there all the way from Nassau Street and began waiting at 8.30am. He described the experience as a “disaster” as the line was moving very slowly and he claimed someone fell out from the heat while waiting.