Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool said the cruise pier vendors' acts were defeating for the long term while adding that it’s an education process as far as the Ministry was concerned. Photo: VINO

“It’s an issue where we have to sit with the vendors over there and understand, from their perspective what is happening,” Hon Vanterpool said in an exclusive interview with this news site.

He explained that there were two or three vendors that also had activities at the Crafts Alive Village, “we want to discontinue [this].”

The Works Minister added, “We also want to discontinue the appearance that they are presenting at the cruise ship pier’s gate… that we’re not happy with that was there before.”

He further explained that this would be examined in addition to the temporary buildings that are currently in place at the cruise pier with a view to removing the structures completely.

“We’re going to be addressing the taxi stand issue and ensuring that they have a taxi stand in the area,” Hon. Vanterpool stated, “but the rest of it… they’re not going to be part of the picture, in fact, that area we hope in the future that it becomes part of the cruise ship pier park.”

Businesses have to get with the programme

“You have to try to put yourselves in people’s place… it’s a business for them,” Hon. Vanterpool said, “they’ve been seizing the opportunity and they have to understand that we have a certain presentation we want to make… they have to fit into that programme.”

Ultimately for them, he added, they’re business people and want to make some money. “At the same time they have to understand that they can be destroying the very same thing that we’re trying to build up to help them to make some money… they’re probably looking short term.”

“We’re looking in the long term context and in the broader context of how can they in the long term earn better by presenting a better look to the tourists as they enter the area [coming off] the ships…”

“They think that they’re doing a great thing but they don’t understand that they’re destroying the very same thing similar to what was happening [on the opposite side]… everybody thought that the tents were what the tourists were looking for… ”

Hon. Vanterpool stated that the act was defeating for the long term and said it’s an education process as far as the Ministry was concerned. “We as government have to have our plans in place to help them to, in the long run, gain from it and understand what we’re trying to do and ultimately present what we think should be the vision and impression that tourists take away from the Territory.”

“One or two persons can’t spoil the party,” he said.

When asked about the vendors’ complaints regarding a need for entertainment in the area, Hon. Vanterpool said, “We’re discussing that within the context of a Crafts Alive Centre Management that will begin to look at entertainment, maintenance, beautification, etc.” He explained that a structure is being set up to deal with all of this.

In addition to this, signage that was missing for some time at the Crafts Alive Village will be re-installed as well as directional signs around the area to assist tourists in finding the location easily. This, he said, will be done in the next few weeks, in time for the opening of the centre.

Hon. Vanterpool added that the development of a tour guide will be looked at as well for tourists as they disembark the ship, “we’re working with the taxi groups to look at the possibility of… when they’re on their way to a tour outside of the city that they make a stop outside of the Crafts Alive before going on the rest of the tour.”

Pedestrian friendly Road Town

According to the Works Minister, there are also measures afoot to make the area of Road Town even more pedestrian friendly. There will be additional crosswalks added that will be more pronounced, he said, “at the Crafts Alive there will be one that is raised… wider sidewalks, similar to the one that we just built at Crafts Alive, wider sidewalks and higher sidewalks so that people are more comfortable walking along.”

He noted that there will also be more trees added to the landscape, additional fountains, “those types of things that sound very small and simple, but go a long way in making the experience of walking through Road Town easier and more accessible”.

The sidewalks, which he expressed that his Ministry are currently unhappy about, will also be reviewed with the aim of making them more wheelchair accessible and safer for motorised vehicles utilising them.