BULAWAYO vendors operating along Fifth Avenue have raised concern over the slow progress in the renovation of vending bays saying this was affecting their businesses.
This comes after Bulawayo City Council temporarily closed the street for renovations where it plans to create 500 vending bays to allow smooth vehicles movement.
In an interview with Southern Eye, the Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association executive director Michael Ndiweni said council needed to prioritise the completion of vending bays along Fifth Avenue.
“Council may have underestimated the job at hand because it needed to clean the site first. It needed to put tarmac there, as far as I can see, in one week it was impossible to complete the job.
“Maybe council can increase manpower and equipment. I think they are overwhelmed in that it is the same engineering department fixing the road and at the same time trying to fix the market. Council needs to prioritise the completion of vending bays,” he said.
Ndiweni also said council needed to properly allocate vending bays to stop space barons from illegally collecting money from the vendors.
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He said council had promised to complete the renovations within a week.
However, Bulawayo deputy mayor Edwin Ndlovu said he would be touring the site today.
Ndlovu will also visit Egodini, Burombo Flats and National University of Science and Technology on his tour.