Lady Grey: rough diamond?
2006-02-02
Ruaan van der Spuy
A PUBLIC meeting was held in the town hall last night to discuss plans for the radical redevelopment of Lady Grey Street.
But what do the citizens of Paarl have to say about this project, and the current condition of the CBD?
Andrew Viviers is optimistic about the new CBD development: “Lady Grey Street needs to be upgraded.”
The majority of people interviewed said that the state of Lady Grey Street, and many other streets in Paarl, for that matter, had worsened in the last few years.
Disgusting
Store manager Chin Beley says the condition of Lady Grey Street is disgusting.
“There’s a huge hole in the street next to the shop and the drains further down the street are disgusting and smelly. People litter everywhere.”
Many attribute the high level of littering to the informal traders that occupy the sides of the busy street, leaving little space for pedestrians. A shortage of rubbish bins was also blamed.
Others say that hawkers have no option to crowd the pavements, because of the municipality’s inability to provide an alternative place for them to conduct their business.
Informal trader Benedict Matthyse says the municipality should erect a market for informal traders where they have a roof over their heads.
Elsabé‚ van der Vyver and Theresa Swartz agreed that hawkers were in need of shelter and ablution blocks.
The majority of people interviewed were of the opinion that the proposed redevelopment of the CBD, with the closure of the upper part of Lady Grey and New Street to vehicle traffic, would be welcome.
Some hawkers were, however, concerned that they could lose their hawking rights if the pedestrianised area were to be closed to informal traders. This could leave them without an income.
But if the municipal council could provide a different venue for the traders with a more suitable infrastructure, then the issue would be resolved, they said.
One local trader, Achmat Cupido, pointed out that the essence of informal trading is foot traffic and that the plans for upgrading should not departe hawkers from pedestrian activity.
He has been a trader in Paarl since 1986 and says that before 1994, all traders had to have a trading licence
Overtrading
“After 1994, commerce degenerated into `free enterprise’. The lack of control and overtrading has contributed to the disorder and the poor state of Lady Grey Street.”
Johan Wildschutt, Eleeando Swarz and Warren Waries say they have been attempting to obtain a hawking position in Lady Grey Street, but that due to extreme competition among hawkers, newcomers are not welcome.
“There is a lot of infighting.”
In addition, they could not see how development of the CBD would benefit Paarlites who needed new homes.
“Maybe the money should rather go to the development of more housing in Green Hills.”
Even some formal traders are also worried about the project.
Says Nboudou Camara, a store owner in Lady Grey Street, “If the 7000m² of up-market shops are built, and the street is closed, it is going to affect my business.”
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