News
Ramazan cutoff for pavement hawkersBy Kasun Warakapitiya
View(s):Vendors who have been given permission to carry out business activities on selected streets in Pettah, Colombo will be removed after the end of the Ramazan festival, the Colombo Municipal Commission (CMC) said.
These pavement hawkers days are numberd. Pix by Athula Devapriya
The decision by the Mayor of Colombo, M.J.M. Muzamil, to allow pavement hawkers to return to the streets sparked a row, with protests by the Chief Minister for Western Province Prasanna Ranatunga that the stalls would cause obstructions to pedestrians.
A CMC official said hawkers had only been allowed access to three streets: First Cross Street, Second Cross Street and Malwatte Street, until the Ramazan season ends next week.
Mayor Muzamil said previously pavement sellers were also allowed to be in Cosmos Street in the Pettah Market at festival times. “This season we didn’t grant them full access to Cosmos Street because they were given a parking lot to do their business,” he said.
M.A.M Fawaz: Successive governments had not given consideration to the sellers’ problems
Most sellers, however, were displeased about the new venue. “President Maithripla Sirisena has ordered us to find a new place for the pavement vendors and we already have appointed a committee to find a solution,” the Mayor said.
One seller, S.M. Amdullah, said he was tired of shifting his wares from street to street and that the new venue attracted little passing custom.“They erected a shed in the vehicle park at a street corner but there are too many of us – we are cramped up there – and we have no business because customers don’t come to us,” he said.
He said hawkers needed a well-frequented place to do business. M. Mohideen, who sells hardware items on First Cross Street, also complained about being constantly shifted. “We are given temporary business places. We will move after the municipal orders come, but to where? We would also like a beautiful country but the problem is that when we leave an area customers also leave us,” he said.
Rashak Fano: Short-eats seller
S.M. Amdullah
Mr. Mohideen said the Malwatte Street location was not good for business activities as people did not gather in that area. Short-eats seller Rashak Fano claimed he had not been informed that he had to leave after the festival season. Mr. M.A.M Fawaz, a businessman who sells children’s clothing, complained that successive governments had not given consideration to the sellers’ problems.
“The previous government destroyed our shops in order to clean up the country; we were thrown to the pavements. I have been to developed countries – they have pavement stalls that are well managed. We heard that Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga filed action against Municipal Council in order to send us away. We will file counter-action against them,” Mr. Fawaz said.