Street Vendors
- Apr 8, 2016
- 3 min read
“An honest day’s work.” Those are the words of many street vendors when asked to move off the street, alongside a couple obscene phrases. The sensitivity of street vending, and its direct impact to one’s livelihood is very familiar to the global south. In the views of many, it is viewed as an illegal intake of revenue from established fixed businesses, but also defacing the image of Port-of-Spain. According to Kincheloe (2006), Government leaders are seeking to establish Port-of-Spain as the foremost modern business centre of the Caribbean, and view vendors as a hindrance to developing this status. However, before we see them as merchants, we have to see them as humans, and they deserve the right to earn an honest living.
The infamous tag of street vending, or small entrepreneurs - dependent on one’s perspective - is something synonymous with major cities and flowing income as citizens try to create a sustainable livelihood for themselves and unique backstory. Frommer et al (2014) stated that because of the low start-up cost, this trade offers many citizens (local or immigrants) little income capital opportunities for self-sufficiency and upward mobility.
Vending in Port-of-Spain is as diverse as the nation itself, ranging from the local “nutsman”, to the cuisine well known amongst tourist as doubles in the square. Streets such as Charlotte, Henry, Fredrick are known to sell clothing, accessories and even footwear alongside the food and drink carts. The most popular street for vending within the city is Charlotte, mostly occupied by market vendors and continuous economic activity, is ever-present with endless supply of customers. These activities occupy both sides of the street, creating neck to neck competition for market share, as vendors usually sell the same product. This “freeness” however, is opposed by many, including the former mayor of Port-of-Spain. Written in the Guardian Newspaper, quoted the mayor’s “crackdown” on illegal vending in the city, where he stated that present vending was only legal to the few licensed vendors on Charlotte Street, and all others would be removed. Regularisation of vending would now create certain conditions to which merchants would have to adhere to, creating the social conflict between vendors and the city corporation. These regulations are viewed by some vendors to be unfair, as they feel entitled to that urban space and identifies it as their place of work where they earn a livelihood. The new regulations would require merchants to be licensed, and remaining within the allotted space. However, the latter halts the transportable nature of street vending as well as vendors complaining that the city corporation has not supplied them with their requested licensed. This confrontation between the city and its merchants has been ongoing for some time, with the city corporation viewing their activities as illegal, but the for vendors, it is there only source of income. Kincheloe (2006) found that Port-of-Spain vendors consisted of an active labour force population, whereby in the eyes of these self-employed informal workers, is a long-term employment strategy. However, with both camps showing resilience, there can be some “meeting point” or common ground for both parties to stand on. According to Frommer et al (2014) instead of only supporting economic protectionism for fixed businesses, cities should encourage vending by drafting narrowly tailored rules to address these concerns. The idea of licensed vending is appealing, but the corporation must ensure that it is available via fair processing to all vendors.
This week’s post teases the idea that street vending in Port-of-Spain has created an urban identity synonymous with the area. This identity, usage and structure of the area, is viewed to be created by the people who are not urban city planners, indicating that a person’s usage of space can surpass its original identity and purpose, which shows that the people, the public, have a say beyond those who have been elected to govern them. This idea was quoted by Kincheloe (2006), as how local resistance to urban planning can subvert and alter urban development strategies.
Street vendors in a Caribbean aspect is viewed to be a demonstration of our culture, with local products from our multicultural society. A main example is doubles, as east Indian-originated food comprised of two “baras” with a filling of curried channa. Even more importantly, the role vending plays in society for some citizens to maintain a sustainable livelihood and as the opening statement indicated, “An honest day’s work.”
References
Clyne, K. 2014. “Crackdown on Illegal Vending.” Guardian Newspaper, April 2nd. www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-04-02/crackdown-illegal-vending Kincheloe, Joe L. 2006. The Praeger Handbook of Urban Education. Westport, CT: Greenwood
Frommer, R. 2012. Food Truck Freedom: How to Build Better Food-Truck Laws in your City. Institute for Justice.
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