By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

VENDORS at Arawak Cay say worsening conditions at the Fish Fry are driving away tourists and hurting business, citing heavy truck traffic, flooding, broken restrooms and years of government neglect.

They told The Tribune that despite repeated appeals, complaints have gone unanswered, leaving one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions in a state of disrepair.

Bar operator Al said heavy trucks cutting through the strip have long disrupted business, filling the air with dust and noise that drive customers away. He said he raised the issue with the vendor association but doubted any real action would come, adding: “It ain’t gonna be no better man, I got to the point now, ain’t nothing gonna be better around here.”

Restaurant manager Kenya Mitchell said the trucks create an unpleasant experience for diners sitting outdoors. Guests struggle to talk over the noise of horns and engines, she said, and many leave in frustration, choosing restaurants with indoor seating elsewhere. She added that the trucks cause traffic congestion and safety hazards, using Arawak Cay as a shortcut.

Another manager, Reka, called the trucks a danger to tourists. She recalled watching several race through the area on a Sunday, honking their horns, saying the government must act “ASAP, before someone really get hurt.” She added that tourists trying to cross the street are often forced to run as truck drivers fail to stop.

Others complained of poor communication from officials. Reka said vendors receive outdated letters every few months but “absolutely no kind of response from government and no kind of communication.”

Michelle Ferguson, who has worked at the Fish Fry since last October, described the truck traffic as relentless. She said the constant noise left her “like one part of your ears is deaf” and argued the government should find alternate routes for heavy vehicles. Frustrated by inaction, she said she would not vote in the next election unless the problem is addressed.

Restaurant worker Alia Thompson said the trucks are unsafe and disruptive, deterring customers from sitting outside. She added that flooding is another persistent issue, with water sometimes rising onto patios, making it difficult for customers to enter stalls. She called for more drains to be installed.

Operators also highlighted poor restroom facilities, describing them as often unsanitary, out of order, or without basic supplies. “People have to share dirty hand sanitizer, no tissue when it is barely working, the tourists gotta go down there. That is a very bad [look] and people are paying their money,” one vendor said.

Others criticised aggressive solicitation, saying some operators harass tourists in front of restaurants they did not intend to visit, creating tension and a poor impression.

Photographs taken by The Tribune showed rainwater pooling outside restaurants and stalls, collecting around entryways and tables. In one restroom, urinals were covered with plastic bags, indicating they were out of service.

Vendors said the association meant to represent them has failed. One worker complained they never get meaningful opportunities to air their grievances, adding: “The only time I see them is when all them get over there and delegate by the police station and take they fancy picture with they nice tonics, when they come over here with the MPs them, that’s when they’re included.”

She added: “Remember us people, we low class, so when you feel like you have a little position, you high class, that’s how society works now and that’s how they operate. That’s the world. The Bahamas is high ranking in that. Not respecting their own.”