Roseau vendors have until June 15, 2026, to relocate to the market as the city council moves to improve safety, traffic flow, and pedestrian access.
Dominica: The newly elected Mayor of Roseau, Lucy Belle Matthew, has called for all vendors operating on the sidewalks and streets in the city centre to relocate to Roseau market by June 15, 2026, as part of the council’s greater efforts to keep the city clean, improve safety, traffic flow and pedestrian access.
According to Mayor Lucy Belle Matthews, the vendors have been given the 15-day written notice on Monday, which has been provided in three different languages to ensure all are aware before the day arrives. She stated that the notice will give the vendors “ample time to go to the market authorities, get registered and to be allocated a spot.”
The Mayor herself was seen meeting with the street vendors on Monday to relay this message to them and further cement its importance. Speaking to them, Matthews informed street vendors that the spaces are available at an affordable price and encouraged them to register themselves.
Well, our focus today is the vendors who are selling marketable produce on the sidewalk. We have seen that really get out of hand, persons in certain areas cannot even walk the sidewalk and have to take to the street to walk. So today we're just here to speak to each and every vendor, to let them know that they ought to go to the market to apply for space because the market has enough space and at a very low price per day, stated the Mayor.
She noted that some merchants have been complaining that competition in the marketplace is fiercer compared to the streets, hence reducing the number of sales. Addressing this, the Mayor shared that the merchants need to inform their customers that they will be relocating and have the consumers follow them to their designated spot.
This relocation plan has been Mayor Matthew’s goal since the beginning of her 3-year tenure on April 20, 2026. In her swearing in ceremony address, the Mayor spoke of these plans, informing the vendors that measures have already been implemented to accommodate them in Roseau Market.