Number of food vans in RT a concern | Plans for outdoor food courts on the horizon
Plans to develop concentrated areas where mobile fast food restaurants can operate are on the horizon for Road Town
Chief Planner in the Town & Country Planning Department Greg Adams said this is being done because of the number of food vans beginning to populate the territory’s capital.
“We have a lot of these areas where we see people popping up with the food trucks. That has become a point of concern for us, and one of the things we discussed with the Ministry is finding pockets of areas where we can have outdoor food courts,” he said during a recent community meeting at Maria’s by the Sea in Road Town.
He said, among other things, these food courts will be equipped with water, electricity, grease traps, and avenues to properly dispose of wastewater.
“[We will] provide the infrastructure where they can set up in a proper fashion instead of this ad hoc way they are doing … People come here every weekend, some every day because it is a viable opportunity. So, we need to figure out how to facilitate them instead of having one pop-up in this corner, one in this corner,” Adams said.
In the meantime, the Chief Planner is also calling for authorities to enforce the policies that have been and are being developed for the city.
“If we can’t plan to do something and have the will and fortitude to enforce it, we might as well not bother to have these kinds of meetings. With all due respect to our elected officials, we need to have the testicular fortitude to enforce what our visions and our plans are. And, if we don’t have that we might as well don’t plan,” he said.
The food court was one of many plans outlined for the city at the aforementioned meeting.
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Soooooo. Lemme understand this. You give trade licenses and food service licenses to ‘Mobile food vans’ ..ostensibly to allow them to operate in a mobile manner …..but you want them to operate SOLELY from predetermined locations? Pray tell!
But if it’s considered a Mobile food vans, then why haven’t they moved from their spots, my understanding of a food van, meets people at different locations rather than having people come to their spot. This is what he’s trying to avoid if city planning have not approved these spots that these vans now occupy all day everyday it defo needs to be planned. If they were like Cinty food van their would be no issues, food gets cooked placed in van and the food van goes to schools, docks, hospital. That is the definition of a mobile food van, not what your accustomed to a van having a fixed location while being a food truck. Greg Adams for the win! Organise the town yes
The government need to do the same with all the car washes blocking a lot of the car parks in town. Parking is hard enough with out them. Village cay area is the worst
Yes I agree with you. Have you ever tried to pass through Lower Estate in the morning? They wash down vehicles all out in the road and holding up traffic when people are trying to get to work.
The counter to that point is most if not all mobile food van owners do not own the land where they operate so permission must be granted to to use any area in town. Even if permission is granted temporarily there maybe future plans for the land and they may be forced to leave. Mobile means able to be moved easily not necessarily constantly moving like what you implied by saying “operate in a mobile manner” There will always be a need to predetermine locations unless they buy the plot of land in town.
monkey see monkey do….every business in the bvi are flooded with competition….time to start limiting the amount of trade licenses
Without competition quality is low.
Stop complaining about competition. Just step up your game.
A lot of time are unsanitary also.
Set up an infrared camera in every single one of those so called food vans after they have closed at ights and until they are reopened for business the next day, and show what was captured to the public.
Gauranteed, every single business would be immediately out of customers,
Why, they would be shocked out of mind, body and soul when they see the millions of rats, mice, roaches, snakes and vermin crawling, shitting, p***ing, vommiting and feeding inside those places in the dark.
Lastly, how much and how often do we witness our dear segregated neighbors frequenting and or purchasing from our food van cuisine?
FFT.
Please do not put all food vans in your uneducated, irrational box! There are food vans that maintain monthly exterminator services and are strict on cleanliness. You would be shocked to see the environment of some restaurants with concrete walls you hold on a pedestal. So please don’t turn down The convenience and awesome food those food vans offer!!!They save a lot of people money who can’t afford $20 per day lunch.
You are excused. Your opinion, minus the misinformed personal judgement/assult, is fully respected.
It was a broad brush and an apology is extended.
However, it is a well known fact that every single situation is not identical.
Meanwhile, it is also a known reality that no matter how much precautions are taken, rats and roaches are masters of breaking and entering.
So do continue your due diligence and clean from top to bottom each moring before preparing the days meals.
Lastly, many will remain non supoorters of such food outlets.
Next time use terminologies such as some, few! Persons have varying choices in respect of food, I’m sure the food van businesses don’t expect the entire population to only support them and not the concrete restaurants.
An economy without competition has no influence on prices and it would be simply boring without it. Food Vans make it INTERESTING!!!
Do not knock food vans!! Please and thanks!
One would have thought the number of car washes taking up parking would have been of greater concern…..But hey you idiots have to find something to make the public think you are doing something……
Here we go again, the attacks on the small man.
Virtual Museum Initiative Launched.
To soon to have been put in place by the current government, right?
Any credit for previous one due here?
Trade, Town and Country and the City Manager all should be part of the planning committee. Not sure you making that statement as it shows me internal weaknesses. Start internally with a plan for Road Town for the next number of years. What stipulation was there when the licenses are issued to the food vans. Please think before making such statements.
This is a complicated issue.Perhaps there should be a freeze on trade licenses until this policy or program is implemented. All the key government departments like environmental health , trade and town planning etc.. should’ve involved. The impact on the regular restaurants must also be addressed..
Road Town has a planner!!
Car washes in the B vi (west end 2.seacows bay 4.road town 7.loeer estate 3.east end long look 2.and one hoe house
It’s there a way too organizes The small man. From bring the small man down. who is trying to make a honest Dollar Tell Me.
what about where palm grove shopping center used to be, that’s a perfect spot for a foo court.
No parking
Gregory needs to go sit down with he one-sided self! Andrew need to replace you, as you are not fair in your job!Stop it!!!
I agree this man needs to be replace
Food Court he say! That means only a few will get to rent booths, limiting those who cannot afford to pay. SMH
the Gov needs to go around to the different businesses and ask for a Trade License because some of them don’t have one and the food area is really nasty.
Abroad there are areas that are set up as food truck parks. The trucks don’t stay there overnight but rather converge on the area for the period of time that the park is open. The food is sold out of the trucks, as normal. There are no booths. I don’t think there is any seating or shelter either. Minimal, if any. However, the activity is centralized, which I think probably benefits both the customers and the operators.
No need to seek a landowners permission to park, pre-determined location and hours, provision of necessary facilities for proper food sanitation measures, ease of ability to ensure compliance with and adherence to food sanitation requirements, better variety, higher quality, better prices (all bred by competition).
Why do licenced restaurants need to have four sinks and all sorts of health regulations control them (rightly so) but food vans don’t even need one sink? Food is often prepared in home kitchens but they are not subject to health regulations. Is Health department and trade licence department thinking we would get food poisoning only from proper restaurants and not from food vans. One time, not recently, I saw the cook from a van using the back of it as a bathroom. Then he went back inside to fry up chicken.