A few days ago, Assistant Superintendent of Police Parnel Browne of the Royal SVG Police Force made it quite clear that no company in SVG owns any parking spaces on the government road.
Additionally, the inspector suggested that no business or worker is entitled to a parking spot on the government’s road and should not set up any stools or other items there to do so.
However, Singer seems to be excluded from this new public pronouncement. As of Aug. 4, 2025, the inspector’s statements were blatantly and flagrantly disregarded.
Three exquisitely designed wooden white objects with red letters that read “NO PARKING” and a finely designed silver handle (see image) were installed on Aug. 4 to RESERVE a spot for the business’ vehicles. Early in the morning, the signs were skilfully placed with a gentle touch, removed as Singer’s large vehicles entered, and put back in place when the vehicles left to reserve the spot.
The public’s attempts to take down the illegal barriers (as instructed by the police) have been met with hostility and opposition.
Last week, a young male employee of the business place gesticulated angrily at and rebuked a non-Singer citizen for parking in “Singer’s spot” on the government’s road. The non-Singer citizen chose to search for parking elsewhere after reportedly feeling bullied and threatened. Two of the wooden signs were then swiftly taken by the young man and put in “Singer’s spot” on the government road.
The non-Singer citizen undoubtedly recalled what happened outside of Home Collection, when a young male employee cut a citizen’s tyres for parking in a legitimate and appropriate position on the government road. He didn’t want all that smoke.
Another attempt to remove the illegal structures by a different citizen was met with vitriol by another male employee at Singer. The non-Singer male citizen removed two of the three signs and was angrily shouted at. I tremble to think what could have happened if the male citizen had responded similarly. He just went his way. He didn’t want all that smoke from the employee.
The traffic department was notified of Singer’s entitlement and non-compliance on several occasions, but nothing was done. In actuality, a corporal and a sergeant in that department said that the police had no duty to move the objects blocking the government’s public road, while another sergeant said that it was the police’s job and that they were busy and would do it when they are ready. Which is it?
I would like to know who was responsible for moving the chairs and stalls belonging to the merchants during the clean-up effort around town. Is Singer’s flexibility greater than that of our vendors?
Do Singer’s wooden signs have more worth than the tables and chairs that the vendors used to conduct business? Was the general public instructed to move the vendors’ chairs and stalls, or did the police pick up and move the vendors’ chairs and stalls?
I believe that Singer makes the police nervous. This is apparent to me, as a young male employee from Singer indicated that he puts out the illegal barricades because he was instructed to do so by his boss, and that his boss’s words supersede those of the police.
The police are responsible for maintaining law and order, and if they do nothing to address these apathetic entrepreneurs, there is a good chance that avoidable and preventable situations will occur and lead to conflict. The previous two citizens did not want the smoke; however, there will be one who wants ALL THE SMOKE, and conflict will arise as a result of ineffective and reactive policing.
Itinerant Parker
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In all fairness: when a business place clear goods from the customs and desire to offload at their workplace, what can we do to accommodate them?
I really do think that the businesses in an around Kingstown should be given an option to pay for the space in-front of their businesses.
Another issue: have the police looked into that entire middle street area? There are maybe 100 businesses that are on that street, and middle street is the narrowest street in the town, now tell me, how can those businesses drop off goods without disrupting the flow of traffic?
I don’t understand what is happening here, Uptown Kingstown is the commercial hub of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Most of these commercial building were constructed before the SVG useless vehicle bloom came on stream. They were constructed long before the construction technology and thought to construct under ground parking. It only make sense that companies like singer, are allowed to park their business vehicles immediately outside their business premises. Not the manager, or other staff members vehicles.
This is to ensure the company operates with the lowest possible operation cost. It is companies like singer, that drives commerce in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Keep a people employed, and keep our government operable with the high import Tax, sales Tax, income tax, VAT, NIS contribution etc.
It will be foolish to let the economically uninformed utterance, like my ex-colleague SOP Parnell Brown affect the profitability of any duty paying tax paying commercial enterprise in SVG. the impact on our economy, and on unemployment will be to great.
Kingstown is a very small town, the commercial hub of Kingstown is even smaller. Why do people who are going onto the capital feel the need to drive into Kingstown. If and individual who choose to drive their vehicle into Kingstown and cannot afford to pay, for parking, while they comduct their business, it may just mean, you cannot afford to drive to Kingstown.
It may also be an indication you cannot afford to own a vehicle. Not because an individual can access the resources to obtain a comodity means they can afford said comodity. It may very well be the reason why some people will go to the length to try to construct the commercial activities of an established business it is because they cannot afford to pay for parking. That simply means you cannot afford drive into Kingstown.
Let’s think about it.
Smh
I believe business people in town should be given at least one spot, the most two to operate and park freely according to the size of the operation. Business persons who not dealing with large items can park else where and not necessarily be given a space Infront of their business. Those that offload and deliver large items how should they conduct this effectively without an always available space? I remember years ago there was a similar problem, a police officer went to the scene and marked the spots where that business operation can occupy. When I heard business places have no right to occupy spots or a spot Infront of their business place I was amazed as this has been going on for so long.