Making street vendors happy

THE EDITOR: An effort should be made to regularise street vending. Resolving the issues happening on Charlotte Street shows clearly how good will come of it.

On that street there is an array of products on outdoor tables, from foodstuffs to dry goods. A lot of it is not in direct competition with the area shops, however it takes away the parking space for customers for the whole retailing community indoors and outdoors.

The causeway is choked up for people, for parking, for vehicle movement and for truck delivery. This depresses the further development of additional real estate in the area for business and professional activity.

It is not to “demonise” the street vendor; it is to say that providing adequate space for them would benefit them and everyone else, enhance the city and the markets in goods; and open up the real estate.

One way could be to move the vending from upper Charlotte Street to the South Quay area near City Gate. Land could be acquired to give the vendors attractive facilities and in fact they would get more of the pedestrian travelling public from wider parts of town.

All traffic would be better served too along Charlotte Street, and people and trucks would be able to access with much ease the great shops on Charlotte Street and South Quay as well.

As Charlotte Street is getting sanitised presently, you can get a feel of it at this time.

ELIAS GALY via e-mail