Market Street to re-open as one-way road |15 February 2014

Market Street in Victoria will as from Monday February 17, 2014 re-open as a one-way only road connecting onto Church Street, which will also be one-way, for limited and controlled traffic use.

The re-opening of the road is to ease and improve traffic flow, as well as make the area safer, ensuring that emergency services can fully gain access when and if needed.

It should be recalled that government through the Cabinet of Ministers took a decision after advice and consultations early last year to relocate existing street vendors who had located themselves on the stretch of Market Street, to an area that would be more conducive to their business activities, bearing in mind hygiene and the general safety of visitors and shoppers to the historic centre of Victoria, the Market Street area.

In order to prepare for the re-opening of the street to traffic, vendors had been approached late November 2013 and as of December of the same year they had been allowed to put up their stalls and tents on the street daily and remove them each and every night by 6pm.

Any activity on Sundays was also prohibited on this stretch of road unless the vendors had been given permission.

Now that the renovations and upgrading of the Market Street annex has been completed, those  street vendors currently operating in the middle of the road will be afforded an opportunity to relocate their stalls.  After today, vendors will no longer be able to erect their stalls, tables, or tents on the road.

It should be noted that ‘The Road Transport Act’ makes provisions under the Road Transport (one-way streets and Restricted Road Use) Order, Section 4 (1) to restrict the driving of vehicles on Market Street as follows:-

(a)   Only commercial vehicles

(b)   With permission of the Road Transport Commissioner, vehicles of residents of premises on or accessed via Market Street.

Residents who wish to access their premises through Market Street and do not possess a commercial vehicle must submit their request to the Road Transport Commissioner for consideration.

Vehicle owners and drivers driving through Market Street onto Church Street must ensure that they comply with all the regulations in force and take extra precaution when driving through.

Although the one-way street will be officially open on Monday, SLTA wardens and traffic officers of the Seychelles Police will be on hand as from today to assist motorists and ensure the smooth transition of Market Street as a one-way street. 

It should be recalled that during a certain period in the past the Market Street was open to one- way vehicular traffic but closed following surveys and traffic needs at that time.

Market Street to re-open as one-way road