By Alusine Sallieu Kargbo

Street trading remains a common practice among a greater percentage of business vendors in Freetown, especially petty traders and some big business vendors within the central business areas of the capital city. The practice of street trading in the city has been linked with diverse reasons, to include: poverty, unemployment, inadequate market facilities, competition for sales, homelessness, lack of sufficient funds to rent or lease shops and so on. Amidst the several reasons associated with the adoption of the practice, the growing number of hawkers and their expansion into some strategic and danger prone areas within the city has been a cause for concern. The expansion of vendors into some of these prohibited areas has been associated with corruption; as many pay dues to metropolitan (city council police) officers in the form of bribe for access to run their businesses, lack of policies to regulate the operations of street vending, political connections, lawlessness among vendors and the city’s council’s approval of certain businesses operations in danger prone areas.

Street Trading according to Oxford dictionary is the selling or exposing or offering for sale of any article in the streets. Such practice is common in some cities around the world, but the range at which it has gotten in Freetown is appalling, and thus demands swift regulatory interventions. It is highly impossible to terminate street trading in Freetown, but the practice requires robust regulatory measures that will enhance environmental protection, vendors and buyers’ safety, health safety measures and the protection of state infrastructures and the social welfare guarantee of citizens in Freetown. Adopting new policies and ensuring the reinforcement of old ones will help mitigate the uncontrolled growth of street vendors in the city. It’s a fact that many of these vendors depend wholly on their daily sales to feed themselves and their families, but their safety and the safety of other citizens and the city is much more paramount than the individual benefits gained by vendors on a daily basis.

It is paramount to note that the practice of street trading in Freetown is and has been significantly contributing to the vibrant growth of the local economy, reduction of unemployment, poverty mitigation, income generation, access to commodities etc. But running such a trade in an unregulated environment poses greater risks and challenges on vendors, buyers, state infrastructures and the even the transportation systems that overweight the benefits associated with the practice. It is imminent on us as citizens and dwellers of Freetown to note that the proliferation of street trading in the city has had diverse negative effects; ranging from the indiscriminate disposal of waste – which is a key factor for poor hygiene and sanitation, drug peddling – which is a key contributor to the misuse of drug and abuse, loss of the city’s aesthetics – this has affected and is still affecting our tourism sector, the devaluation of the environmental quality, obstruction of drainage systems– a major factor for the excessive flooding during rains, roads dilapidation, traffic congestions and inaccessibility of some road networks – a major cause for the excessive traffic congestion and transportation constraints within the city.

Considering the several negatives associated with the running of a dismal street vending in the city, it is imperative that state institutions (government) set up regulatory measures that will mitigate or ensure a risk-free street vending environment. Establishing or setting up a well-regulated street vending environment will mitigate if not eradicate citizens exposure to diseases, drug trafficking and peddling, promote access to transportation, enhance infrastructural development, promote tourism and as well promotes citizens health safety. I believe setting up a regulatory framework for street vending is key to the development of Freetown and will ensure a curtail in the operation of illegal business such as drug peddling, ensures the prevention of avoidable accidents, protection of state properties and as well enhance the protection and promotion of the city’s aesthetics which are key to the development of its tourism sector and the welfare of citizens.

This is not a call for elimination of street vending but a call that seeks the safety of street vendors, buyers and the entire citizenship through regulations. Street vending is of greater importance to the state, its practitioners, myself and every other citizen, but regulating it practice and operations will create more room for its effectiveness and as well promote national development. Government and other related institutions should create more business facilities that could be easily accessed by vendors and buyers, adopt new and reinforce old business regulatory policies, ensure robust monitoring on street business activities and as well improve on the public health and sanitation facilities in business areas within the city to enhance effective business operations and a healthy living environment.