COCONUT VENDORS say the decision to ban the sale of bottled coconut water will make it more difficult for them to earn a living, and want officials to re-examine the decision.
A young vendor at the Dame Nita Roundabout, paused from filling out a bottle of water for a customer to say: "We buy our bottles from the factory in the Belle. We sell water that has been bottled strictly that way."
As to whether he will continue the practice, he said it was something he and his partners will have to discuss.
On Wednesday Chief Environmental Health Officer David Watson was reported as saying that buying the coconut water in bottles from street vendors was now illegal. One of the reasons given by Watson was that some of the bottles used were taken from dumps and along the highways and such bottles, being plastic, could not be sterlised.
Investigations yesterday, however, showed that the public was still buying the bottled water.
"Handy Randy", a vendor who operates outside the Deighton Griffith School in Kingsland, Christ Church, said although he respected the health officials, their decision needed to be re-examined.
"These inspectors need to take time to consider the dangers that will occur if coconut shells are given to customers. They say the garbage trucks are damaged by the shells, but they are the same trucks that will have to take away the shells from all the households," "Randy" said while rushing to fulfil an order of three bottles for a customer. Showing his receipt for bottles he had purchased, he said it was unfair for vendors to be prevented from selling bottled water when other companies which bottled local drinks were using the same source for bottles.
Iley, from his station in Bagatelle, St. Thomas, said: "I miss about four sales this morning because I did not have bottles. This will make it harder to make a dollar."
Ulric Collymore, who operates from the Belle junction, said when he started he could not get customers because they wanted bottled water. "I went to Plastic Container Ltd. and bought bottles. This is the same place that drink factories use. I think authorities want to get around to the people who keep the place dirty, but if so, they should tell them not try to jeopardise other people's operations," he said, adding he will continue his sale of the bottled water.