As the festive season approaches, Vincentians are asking whether the Annual Christmas Road Cleaning Programme, a tradition under the former Ralph Gonsalves administration, will continue under the newly installed government.
Despite widespread public interest, there has been no official pronouncement from the Ministry of Transport or Finance, leaving uncertainty about whether thousands of temporary workers will be engaged this year.
On social media platforms and radio talk shows, callers have repeatedly raised the issue, pointing to the programme’s importance not only for road safety and aesthetics but also for providing seasonal employment to thousands of citizens.
Between 2022 and 2024, the Annual Christmas Road Cleaning Programme was consistently rolled out across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, employing close to 6,000 persons each year at an estimated cost of EC$3 million.
In 2022, the initiative began on November 28, engaging 5,733 workers, including 499 gangs and 743 jobbers, alongside more than 100 truckers and conductors.
The programme, executed jointly by the Buildings, Roads and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) and the Economic Planning Division in the Ministry of Finance under the Labour Intensive Temporary Programme (LITE), lasted eight days.
The following year, on November 28, 2023, BRAGSA again spearheaded the effort, employing 5,714 persons across all 15 constituencies, with the cost remaining at EC$3 million. In 2024, the programme commenced on December 2, engaging 5,685 workers, including 493 teams and 755 jobbers, with BRAGSA once more overseeing operations in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
This three-year record underscores the programme’s scale, consistency, and importance as both a seasonal employment initiative and a public safety measure.
These figures highlight the programme’s consistent scale and cost, averaging EC$3 million annually, and its role in providing short-term employment to nearly 6,000 Vincentians each year.
With the new government now in office, the absence of clarity has sparked debate. Citizens argue that the programme is more than cosmetic it is a public safety measure ensuring clear roadways during the busy Christmas season, while also serving as a social safety net for unemployed and underemployed persons.
The question remains, will the new administration continue this annual tradition, or will Vincentians face a Christmas without the familiar road cleaning crews? Until an official statement is made, speculation will continue to dominate public discourse.
