News
Street vendors: Victims or nuisance
View(s):Street vendors are a common sight to most motorists and pedestrians. Clutching packets of incense sticks, children’s story books, plastic ornaments and other items, they flit in between traffic. These self-employed persons operate on busy roads, climbing into buses and pressing their goods to halted vehicles in an effort to sell their ware.
While these vendors are merely trying to earn a living, the unsupervised manner in which they operate, does create several problems. As seen in our the photographs, most of these street vendors operate at busy intersections and junctions. The time taken to pay money and receive goods tend to obstruct the smooth flow of traffic. This in turn results in vehicles stuck at the back of long traffic blocks blaring horns and compounding the confusion. Tourists too are pestered by these salesmen and women who are often referred to as a menace by some.
Incidents of chain snatching too have been reported with some street vendors putting a hand into vehicles, tearing chains off the necks of their victims and running away with them. However the street vendors too are helpless victims. They must achieve a sales quota to survive another day. Some of them even work under suppliers who expect a commission.
“Such street businesses are classified under the Dangerous and Offensive Trade Act of Sri Lanka. They are definitely illegal as they are unlicensed and an obstruction to everyday life in the city. However, these vendors have not been seen as a problem nor have we received any complaints about them.” said the Colombo Municipal Council Commissioner, Bhadrani Jayawardhana.
A salesman plies his ware at a vehicle caught up in congested traffic
A street vendor walks between traffic at a busy intersection
A street vendor jumps into a moving bus
Both men and women engage in sale of goods causing traffic snarl-ups