Vendors welcome removal of illegal street stalls in Jidhafs

Vendors at Jidhafs Central Market yesterday welcomed the Capital Secretariat’s most recent move to remove illegal street stalls, calling for similar strict actions against violators in the area. The secretariat, which is formerly known as the municipality, yesterday removed at least nine stalls, shades and stands randomly scattered in a yard located opposite to the market. The step created a debate on local social media networks, with some supporting it saying “such procedures must be taken against lawbreaker”, while many opposed it saying “it has a negative impact on the livelihoods of vendors”.

Capital General Secretariat Council Vice Chairman Mazen Al Umran explained in a conversation with Tribune that the municipality has granted vendors sufficient time to either rectify their situations by requesting a permit or removing their stalls. “The vendors were granted three weeks to correct their situations. They were warned by the secretariat and were given until June 24, but the warnings fell on deaf ears. The removed stalls mostly belonged to foreign workers. The Bahraini vendors applied for permits and their stalls were untouched by the bulldozers,” Mr Al Umran said, adding that the owner of the yard has complained about the vendors illegally occupying his land.

Mr Al Umran added that a facelift project at the site is underway, confirming that the matter is being considered within the secretariat, without revealing any timeframe of the project’s implementation.