AMMAN — Following a recent campaign by
Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) teams, supported by the public security and the administrative
governor to remove random stalls in the different areas of the capital, including
downtown, Governor of Amman Yasser Al-Adwan stated on Tuesday that in
cooperation with the GAM, several options are being examined to find
alternative spaces in regulated areas for stall owners to sell their goods.
اضافة اعلان
Adwan told
Jordan News that the “targeted areas
will be selected based on traffic of vehicles and pedestrians in order for the
stall owners to achieve a good volume of sales.” He said that the stalls were
in violation of the law and obstructed traffic, noting that many stall owners
pick random spots to place their goods “thinking it is their given right to do
so.”
Jordan News made a visit on Monday to downtown, which
was almost devoid of shoppers and sellers. The campaign was not welcomed by
many, who said “it was inhuman to deprive the stall owners of their livelihood,
especially in light of the economic challenges since the start of the pandemic.
Several citizens spoke of the difficult situation stall owners face, and called
on concerned authorities to review the decision or find other alternatives.
Alaa Abu Hammad, a frequent visitor to downtown, told
Jordan
News that the authorities should be more lenient during the current
economic conditions and keep the stalls, adding that “those people cannot
afford to pay rent for shops. Even some of the big retailers have been closing
down their businesses due to a slow shopping season.”
Adel Shami, a retailer, told
Jordan News that
the pretext of the
authorities to remove the stalls was overcrowding on the
streets, and hindering people’s movement, “but I can tell you that downtown is
always full of people, and I don’t believe that removing the stalls is the best
solution to eliminate overcrowding.”
Ramadan, a stall owner, who was not affected by the
stall-removal campaign, thanked his lucky stars. “Luckily, I had a chance to place
my stall in a good location which does not impede the traffic, so it will not
be removed, however, I feel sorry for other sellers who face such a bad
situation.” He said he doubted that alternative spaces would be found for other
stall owners in the crowded downtown area, expressing pity that they have lost
a chance to earn income.
However, some agreed with conducting additional
campaigns to eliminate stalls permanently.
Mariam Shahwan, a frequent downtown shopper, told
Jordan
News that the stall owners “are a nuisance as they beg passersby to buy
their goods; they don’t wear facemasks or keep physical distance from others.” However,
Shahwan said that she feels pity for those stall owners, urging authorities to
find them licensed alternatives, noting that some of those stalls “are popular
and citizens oftentimes look for them to catch a good bargain.”
GAM official spokesman
Nasser Al-Rahamneh said that the
main objective of the campaign was to raise awareness among stall owners, who
place their goods randomly on sidewalks and on streets, of the inconvenience
they cause to traffic and to pedestrians.
Rahamneh said the GAM had previously offered them many
solutions but they consistently refused to respond. He said the intention is
not to cause them harm but steer them to follow the rules. “It is our job to
regulate the market and to ensure that everyone is safe and that the presence
of these stalls does not cause overcrowding or impede traffic.”
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