Stallholders satisfied with Stabroek Market repairs
Stabroek News
October 1, 2002

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Stallholders in the newly renovated Stabroek Market say they are quite satisfied with the work done by the contractor with the only complaint being a few leaks when it rains.

The market was renovated at a cost of $150 million by R Bassoo & Sons which has since promised to fix the leaking roof. The vendors say it has not rained since repairs were done so they could not make a pronouncement on the work.

Yesterday when Stabroek News visited the market, which was originally opened in 1881, there were two workers doing remedial work on the roof.

Vendors were of the opinion that the contractor had done a very good job and it was pointed out by one that there are only a few leaks in the roofing.

“Generally we are pleased with the work. Taking into consideration the size of this market and the amount of work that had to be done, there aren’t too many leakages,” one stallholder said.

The vendors also complimented the contractor and his workers for allowing them to work during the repairs. It was disclosed that no stallholder had to close his or her business for more than two weeks since the workers did the repairs in stages. They said the workers were very efficient and did their work swiftly.

Also the stallholders said they did not mind the discomfort they were forced to experience since at the end of it all they now had a better market.

Recently the Mayor & City Council (M&CC) said in a release that it had found faulty work and said it would not sign any document to take it over. The release had given the example of a jewellery stall which had been in the market for a considerable number of years which was forced to use a large tarpaulin to protect the stall from rain.

When contacted, Senior Project Officer of the Urban Development Programme (UDP), Fredricks Flatts had stated that if anyone had a problem with the market they should forward their concern to the UDP, which is the client for the project, and the problem would be fixed. He had revealed that the project was now in the defects liability stage which ends in February 2003.

Also Flatts had said that representatives from the UDP, the consultant, CEMCO and the M&CC had visited the market and had compiled a list of faults which was given to the contractor to be remedied.