Street vendors causing congestion, say Jinja residents
RESIDENTS of Jinja town have expressed concern over the disorderliness in some parts of the town, which they said is caused by local authorities failing to enforce regulations.
By Charles Kakamwa
RESIDENTS of Jinja town have expressed concern over the disorderliness in some parts of the town, which they said is caused by local authorities failing to enforce regulations.
They cited street vendors, saying instead of occupying the gazetted markets, they operate in the streets, causing congestion.
The most affected roads are those near the Jinja Central Market, including Allidina, Alice Muloki, Kutch Road East and Napier, which become inaccessible, especially in the evening.
Traders start spreading their merchandise on the roads at about 3:00pm. In some areas, they go up to the middle of the roads, leaving little space for the motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, a resident said.
The traders deal mostly in foodstuffs like cassava, rice, matooke and fruits. Others sell herbal medicine, second-hand clothes and shoes. Vans selling bread are permanently parked on Allidina Road.
Grace Ziraba, a boda boda cyclist, said traffic Police officers are tough on them (cyclists), yet they had done nothing to arrest the vendors.
But the regional officer in charge of traffic, Hellen Apolot, said street vendors were outside the traffic Police jurisdiction.
“That complaint is persistent but it is beyond traffic Police. Jinja municipal council should stop those traders because they affect traffic flow and lead to accidents,†she said
Alex Wabwire, the secretary of the market traders, said they had written to several officials over the matter but nothing had been done.
He blamed some leaders for politicising the issue.
Wabwire cited vendors on Alice Muloki Road, who he said were allocated space in the central market but the mayor, Mohammed Kezaala, allowed them back on the street.
Wabwire said illegal vendors affect their business because people, who would have entered the market to buy from the authorised traders, end up buying from the streets, blocking revenue from the market traders who pay a lot of taxes.
Mubarak Kirunda, the Jinja central division LC3 chairman, declined to comment on the matter, saying: “There are things which cannot be discussed on phone.â€
Efforts to reach Kezaala for a comment were futile.
RESIDENTS of Jinja town have expressed concern over the disorderliness in some parts of the town, which they said is caused by local authorities failing to enforce regulations.
They cited street vendors, saying instead of occupying the gazetted markets, they operate in the streets, causing congestion.
The most affected roads are those near the Jinja Central Market, including Allidina, Alice Muloki, Kutch Road East and Napier, which become inaccessible, especially in the evening.
Traders start spreading their merchandise on the roads at about 3:00pm. In some areas, they go up to the middle of the roads, leaving little space for the motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, a resident said.
The traders deal mostly in foodstuffs like cassava, rice, matooke and fruits. Others sell herbal medicine, second-hand clothes and shoes. Vans selling bread are permanently parked on Allidina Road.
Grace Ziraba, a boda boda cyclist, said traffic Police officers are tough on them (cyclists), yet they had done nothing to arrest the vendors.
But the regional officer in charge of traffic, Hellen Apolot, said street vendors were outside the traffic Police jurisdiction.
“That complaint is persistent but it is beyond traffic Police. Jinja municipal council should stop those traders because they affect traffic flow and lead to accidents,†she said
Alex Wabwire, the secretary of the market traders, said they had written to several officials over the matter but nothing had been done.
He blamed some leaders for politicising the issue.
Wabwire cited vendors on Alice Muloki Road, who he said were allocated space in the central market but the mayor, Mohammed Kezaala, allowed them back on the street.
Wabwire said illegal vendors affect their business because people, who would have entered the market to buy from the authorised traders, end up buying from the streets, blocking revenue from the market traders who pay a lot of taxes.
Mubarak Kirunda, the Jinja central division LC3 chairman, declined to comment on the matter, saying: “There are things which cannot be discussed on phone.â€
Efforts to reach Kezaala for a comment were futile.