Tuesday, October 27 2009

THE Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) yesterday expressed hope that the Secretariat for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM), will not see the need to conduct dry runs of security and traffic restrictions, planned for Port-of-Spain during the meeting which is carded for November 27 to 29.

Several test runs were held in the weeks leading up to the April 17-19 Summit of the Americas held in Port-of-Spain to test the readiness of security and traffic restriction plans. These dry runs were criticised by businessmen and motorists because of the impact on trade and traffic congestion caused.

DOMA president Gregory Aboud said the association has not received any acknowledgment or reply to their request for information from or for a meeting with the secretariat regarding the upcoming event.

“We are expecting the worst because of this. Simply put, most of north Trinidad and the majority of the East-West corridor down to Chaguaramas was forced to shut down completely during the Fifth Summit of the Americas. With only four weeks to go before CHOGM and with no interaction, we can only assume all of the people who were affected during the Summit will have the same effect for CHOGM,” Aboud said.

Aboud explained while the association understands the security needs for CHOGM, DOMA is concerned because the security parameter will be expanded to include the National Academy for the Performing Arts, located at the Queen’s Park Savannah, where the cultural aspects of CHOGM is expected to take place.

“It seems clear that private citizens and business operators will have no choice but to accept the same impact as was experienced during the Summit of the Americas,” Aboud said.