Struggling Malecon businesses face eviction

posted on: Feb 6 2010 10:10 by Royston. Viewed 234 times.


The Ministry of Tourism is urging kiosk businesses on Puerto Plata's Malecon not to fall behind on their payments.

The Board of Trustees of the Malecon have warned that business owners will be evicted if they breach the contracts signed with the Tourism Ministry who built the kiosk bars.

For their part, the Malec�n 'caseteros' complain that they do not have enough trade to survive. They say customers who arrive by car can not park near their booths because of the raised yellow  curbs marking the lane on the side of the Malecon for the use of cyclists and pedestrians.

Observers have argued that the curbs could be removed only from the areas around kiosks.
An alternative suggestion is to remove them completely, placing a yellow line to warn that the parking is only allowed every day from 7:00 in the evening.

This arrangement, it was further suggested, could be enforced with the use of a  towing crane and the costs incurred recovered through penalties exacted on offenders.