The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

Potter’s Cay vendors say they are still waiting for Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) electricity supply to reach their stalls despite a previous government pledge that at least 25 would be connected by the 2026 first quarter.

While underground infrastructure is being installed and work remains active, electricity has yet to reach any stalls, according to Ormanique Bowe, president of the Potter’s Cay Dock Fish, Fruit and Vegetable Vendors Association.

“There’s a lot of work still being done,” Ms Bowe told Tribune Business. “They’ve already put down the underground cables, and so what they’re doing now is they’re trying to cover them up with an extension sidewalk. So no stalls have electricity as yet, but we’re getting there.”

The delay comes amid a long-awaited modernisation drive that vendors say is critical to improving operations, reducing expenses and lowering fire risks for Potter’s Cay vendors.

JoBeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy and transport, earlier this year announced that Potter’s Cay would experience electricity in the 2026 first quarter, describing the initiative as transformational.

“This project means transformation in a sector that is so important to our culture in The Bahamas,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said in a social media video earlier this year. “Potter’s Cay is known to every family, and the tradition of coming out on the weekends to celebrate with the vendors here is important. And so this is expansion and growth for Potter’s Cay because now they’re going to have access to reliable power.”

With the 2026 first quarter timeline missed, some Bahamians have questioned whether the area will still get electricity. Ms Bowe, however, clarified crews continue working overnight to avoid disrupting business operations and traffic flow.

“[Work] is ongoing,” she said. “They come out after 12 at night when the stalls are closed. So when patrons are out there during the day or evening, it would look like the work has stopped, but we cannot work with persons in that area and cars. So they start like 1am and they leave like 7.30 in the morning.”

Ms Bowe said substantial groundwork has already been completed, fueling optimism that electricity is still on track to reach the majority of vendors. “It looks like most of the stalls will get it, because all of the infrastructure is already in and positioned to all of the stalls,” she said. She was unable, however, to provide a timeline for completion.

“I cannot say right now when,” Ms Bowe said. “Like I say, if you go out there, you’ll see an extended sidewalk that is covering the pipes. There’s still an infancy stage. Probably [in] the next few weeks I would be able to give that information.”

Previous delays were attributed to multiple factors, including vendors lacking compliant meter boxes, contractor changes and co-ordination challenges between government agencies.

Ms Bowe previously said the Ministry of Works, BPL and Water and Sewerage Corporation all needed to align infrastructure efforts because underground utility systems intersect throughout Potter’s Cay.

The long-awaited electricity roll-out carries significant economic implications for vendors, according to Ms Bowe. She previously estimated that operators spend roughly $60 daily on generator fuel and another $60 on ice. Access to electricity could reduce operating costs while allowing businesses to invest in freezers, ice makers and electric appliances.

Vendors have also argued electrification could strengthen their ability to obtain insurance coverage by making Potter’s Cay business seem more like formal food establishments rather than simply structures.

Safety remains another major concern as Potter’s Cay has experienced multiple fires in recent years. Vendors have expressed hope that transitioning from gas-powered equipment to electric appliances could help reduce fire hazards.