BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – Amid a steady rise in the number of informal vendors operating across the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, national authorities have launched a coordinated effort to regulate the street vending sector, prioritizing public safety, proper land use, and sustainable livelihood support for local traders.
The push for updated regulation comes in response to a growing trend of vendors setting up unauthorised operations in non-designated zones, most prominently along the busy bypass road corridor of the FT Williams Highway. During a recent parliamentary sitting, Environment Minister Joyelle Clarke outlined the scope of non-compliance across the Basseterre area, which includes unapproved vending in public green spaces and the construction of semi-permanent vending structures without official planning approval or safety inspections. Clarke confirmed that ministry officials have already begun one-on-one engagement with dozens of vendors operating in restricted areas to resolve the situation.
“For every vendor who has set up on a green space without permission, we engage several times to explain to them this is not a place that’s authorised for vending. Either it’s going to create an environmental problem or a traffic congestion problem,” Clarke told the National Assembly.
In a departure from heavy-handed enforcement, the Ministry of Sustainable Development has adopted a supportive, livelihood-first approach to relocation, Clarke explained. Recognizing that street vending serves as a critical source of household income for many local families, the ministry prioritizes connecting vendors with alternative approved vending locations wherever possible. In cases where a designated commercial spot is not immediately available, officials grant vendors extended timelines to secure new sites and offer logistical support to complete relocation, rather than imposing immediate fines or removals.
This current effort builds on earlier action taken by the previous national administration, which relocated unauthorised street vendors from central Basseterre thoroughfares to two designated hubs: the central Basseterre Public Market and the Agri-Strip vending zone in Ponds Pasture.
Clarke highlighted specific public health and environmental risks linked to unregulated operations along the FT Williams Highway, where the number of informal coconut sellers, food stalls, and even mobile bars has surged in recent months. Beyond creating visual blight along the major roadway, discarded coconut husks left on-site by vendors create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the risk of vector-borne disease outbreaks for nearby communities and placing extra strain on public health resources, the minister noted.
To address immediate risks, Clarke is calling on all vendors to adopt daily clean-up practices for their operating zones. “So we’re asking you kindly to take everything with you when you leave. For those of you who have permission to set up and sell under your tents, you know that the permission comes with a caveat: you have to move everything at the end of the day,” she said. She added that the Ponds Farmers Market Strip is reserved exclusively for agricultural producers, and any non-farming vendors seeking to operate in the area must first apply for official approval from the Ministry of Sustainable Development to access a suitable legally designated spot.
While the ministry acknowledges that the growth of local vending reflects economic activity in Basseterre, officials are urging all informal traders to collaborate with government regulators to formalize their operations. “The Ministry is recognising that the growth in vending in Basseterre. We’re recognising this growth, but we’re asking you to connect with us and the Department of Physical Planning or the Department of Urban Development and Resilience for us to assign you to a designated location for vending,” Clarke said. She also confirmed that some high-risk areas, including the Greenlands district, remain strictly off-limits for all informal vending operations.