A doubles vendor was burned to her upper body after hot oil spilled on her after an accident involving a Public Transport Service Commission (PTSC) bus yesterday.
Radica Ramroop, 21, a mother of two, of Taitt Madhoo Road, Freeport was frying doubles on the back of a van around 5 am on Tuesday, at Railway Road, Couva when the driver of a bus collided with the van.
Ramroop said she fell down and hot oil fell and was burned to her hands, neck and feet.
She said a fire ignited at the back of the van but it was quickly extinguished by other vendors.
Ramroop said her husband took her to the Couva District Health Facility treatment. Ramroop said she is unable to work for her employer, Roma Pooran, who own the doubles van. Pooran said bus drivers along Railway Road have a habit of operating vehicles with a level of arrogance and a lack of due care an attention.
Shayam Mohammed, another doubles vendor, said vendors had been operating out of the Couva car park for more than a decade.
Mohammed said the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation took the decision to relocate only doubles vendors from the car park and squeeze them into a small spot at Railway Road.
Mohammed said doubles vendors are being discriminated against by the corporation since other food vendors are being allowed to sell in the public car park. Mohammed said their present location was not only dangerous but contributed to traffic congestion.
Mohammed said he went to speak with corporation’s chairman Henry Awong on Tuesday. However, Mohammed said Awong's secretary told him that Awong was out of the office and that vendors would not be allowed to use the car park.
"I don't know since when the secretary giving orders. I believe Awong is hiding."
Mohammed said doubles vendors are willing to pay rent for places in the car park. Mohammed said he wants to know why some vendors are being favoured to use the car park.
Awong did not return any calls to the Guardian or respond to a text messages sent to his cell phone.