Roadside snackettes to be relocated to new Zeelugt market

Last Updated on Monday, 3 August 2026, 20:18 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Monday said roadside snackettes in Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara would be relocated to the new public market in that village.

“One of the reasons is that all of these snackettes all across on the main public road that is dangerous ; all those snackettes will come in the new market. There is a section for that,” he told a public consultation on model villages held at the Zeelugt Primary School.

The President said the new market would include a clean, safe and hygienic food court that is “touristic” and attractive to patrons. Elaborating on the plan to make that area attractive to visitors, Dr Ali said a major plan is in the pipeline for waterfront development. That would include a park and other areas to accommodate events without disturbing the community.

He also said spray-painting shops, mechanic shops and garages would be moved to one location without affecting the community.

Across at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, he said a a “hub” would be established  as a major parking lot for trucks.

The president said the idea behind the model villages on the West Coast and West Bank Demerara is to improve the quality of life through social cohesion, clean environment, tackling noise nuisance and better infrastructure. “The quality of life that we experience in the community depends on the quality of our values, our culture, the way we treat the environment, the way we dump our garbage and the way in which we look out for each other,” he said.

Housing Minister Collin Croal also said under the model villages initiative, government would not tolerate the presence of derelict vehicles. improper garbage collection, long-term storage of construction materials and poor drainage.’

At the consultation held at the Tuschen Secondary School, Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar said the 89-kilometres of deep and wide concrete drains would also be water reservoirs. He said shoulders of the two-lane roads would be strengthened and there would be ducts for utilities.

Mr Indar said a bypass road would be built from Tuschen to Windsor Forest so that “we are bypassing the traffic in a back road.”

Also part of the Tuschen village development plan is the construction of a GY$1.5 billion 32,000 square foot modern public market at the back of the village. “We can’t continue to live with a pallet and you make up a stand. We have to lift our standards,” said Mr Indar, a resident of Tuschen.

He said the Region Three (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) administration and the Ministry of Local Government would be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the community.

Plans include the installation of 168 security cameras to help law enforcement agencies combat crime, fire hydrants and 1,500 street lights.