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Vendors need to have positive mind on flea market
By
Our Reporter - 19-12-2001 |
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The announcement yesterday that the building of the Blantyre flea market has been completed and is ready for opening next month should be good news to both vendors and city residents.
The absence of specific and well-demarcated trading areas for vendors and its resultant problems to the city residents and authorities has been well documented.
Street trading, for easy access to shoppers, brought so many negative side effects: It contributed to the untidiness in the cities; there was no proper mechanism for the city fathers to collect due rates from the vendors and it brought so many complaints from passers-by, especially women, against the vendors regarding harassment .
While the flea market will not be able to accommodate all vendors, at least government has tried to address their concerns. The flea market will provide sanitary facilities which will be convenient to both vendors and buyers. It will also mean that the city assembly will easily trace the vendors to collect market fees.
It is surprising, therefore, to hear Blantyre vendors vice secretary Daudi Black saying traders will not move into the market until counters have been installed. According to him, the space allocated was too small to accommodate all the vendors’ wares without the benches.
While the concerns could be genuine, it is important that the vendors develop a positive attitude towards the flea market considering the amount of money and time authorities have invested to make this dream real.
After all, government widely consulted the vendors during the early phase of the flea market projects. And after agreeing to the setup, it would be a mark of lack of respect and appreciation for the good efforts the authorities have made to make vendors’ trading a convenient adventure while keeping our cities clean and tidy.
Vendors are currently trading in areas with no facilities, let alone the benches they are now demanding. It would only be proper that they accept the new facilities. They could do better with the little government has provided than nothing at all. |
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