The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

VENDORS relocated from Fort Fincastle to Fort Charlotte say they are struggling to survive more than a year after being moved, with some unable to meet basic expenses as they wait for word on when they can return.

Several vendors told The Tribune that business has sharply declined since the relocation, which was intended to facilitate improvements to the water tower at Fort Fincastle. They said the move, initially described as temporary, has dragged on with little clear communication.

Lisa Forbes, 59, said vendors were first told the relocation would last four months. More than a year later, she said, they are still waiting.

“Business is tough. Things rough for us. Right now I personally don’t even have electricity in my house,” she said.

She said repeated assurances about a return date have come and gone without result.

“They say we’re going back in the next two weeks. Two weeks come and go, nothing. Then they come back and say we’ll be going at the end of the month. Then another two, three months pass, and we’re not back.”

Vendors also complained of overcrowding at Fort Charlotte, saying the concentration of sellers has reduced earnings across the board.

“We have customers come here, but we are here invading those people, their grounds. This is not enough customers for everybody and everybody’s just grabbing at the tourism and that is making business bad for all of us. We just cannot live like this,” Ms Forbes said, estimating her income has dropped to less than 20 percent of what it once was.

Sonia Murphy, 63, said the financial strain has intensified since she took responsibility for her two grandchildren following the death of their mother last year.

“It would affect me really bad, because I have two grandchildren that I have to take on, no mother and no father. No money is here. They have to go to school, uniform, lunch, eat and everything, and it’s me. I’m not looking for nothing from social service, none from nowhere.”

She said rising costs have made it harder to keep up with their needs.

“The 14-year-old boy, I came here in October and I had to buy four shoes from October to now. That’s how tall and big he is — $150 a swipe off a shoe.”

Margaret Rahming Jones, a vendor of more than a decade, said conditions at the Fort Charlotte site have also taken a toll.

“This move has affected me tremendously. I can’t even focus out here. I can’t even come out here. The mould, the dirt, the filth,” she said.

The delays have been particularly difficult as vendors missed out on the spring break season, typically one of their busiest periods.

The Ministry of Works said the remaining delay is tied to the installation and connection of a transformer by Bahamas Power and Light, which is needed to complete infrastructure at Fort Fincastle. The transformer was delivered last week, and the ministry said it is working with BPL to have it connected as soon as possible.

Works Minister Clay Sweeting said the government remains committed to returning vendors to their original location.

“The ministry has heard the concerns of the vendors, and we understand the importance of returning them to their home at Fort Fincastle,” he said. “The Water Tower project is now complete, and we are in the final stage of preparations.”

He said the relocation was always intended to be temporary and described it as a necessary step to allow the project to proceed.

“The vendors made a necessary sacrifice to allow this important project to move forward, and we remain committed to ensuring they return to an improved and welcoming space at Fort Fincastle,” he said.

The ministry also said it will engage industry professionals to assess concerns about mould at the Fort Charlotte site and make recommendations to address the issue.