IT is heartening to see the objections to the sale of coconuts and coconut water in the Rodney Bay area were short-lived.
Although the decision to find a better location away from the intense vehicular traffic in that area was long in coming, the fact that it was finally done is indeed refreshing, like the coconut water itself.
There is no need to rehash the many comments for and against the decision, suffice to say the Gros Islet Constituency Council, should not stop there but look at ways at improving traffic flow in their jurisdiction and make the highways safer for both motorists and pedestrians.
The Gros Islet township is the tourism center of the country and as such should be brimming with activities geared at encouraging tourists to spend their money away from the usual places like tours and restaurants and within the hotels. Not enough activities regulated by the Gros Islet Town Council are in place to generate the level of revenue needed by vendors to earn a living.
While the hotels in the area are doing their share to entertain their guests, what is the Council is doing to get the hotel guests out of the hotels and onto the streets of the town to spend their money so that the micro entrepreneurs, which we call vendors, can earn some of the tourism dollars that the larger entrepreneurs like the hoteliers and restauranteurs are enjoying?
Let’s not bring the legendary Friday night street party into the picture. It alone is not enough. More tourist related activities are needed in the town in order for all residents of Gros Islet to get an equal share of the tourist dollar.
The Council could perhaps look at an idea Prime Minister Allen Chastanet once had, that is to turn the Rodney Bay strip into a hub of activity, if not every night then every night of the weekend. Each night could have a theme.
The Rodney Bay Strip is ready-made for that kind of event and like the Friday night event in the town itself, the events on the strip could, if well managed, become just as popular as the Friday night street party.
The Council, by its decision to bring some level of order to coconut vending in Gros Islet and make the area more pleasing to the eye, has showed itself of having some level of foresight, therefore it would do the township good to know that the Council has other wonderful decisions up its sleeve that it will, in the very near future reveal.
