Wayside fruit, vegetable vendors still unregulated
Government had pledged to introduce new rules in 2017
Laws to regulate hawkers selling fruit and vegetables at busy junctions remain elusive, despite the government saying in 2017 it would introduce more stringent rules.
The new rules, however, have yet to see the light of day with more vendors appearing on the side of roads as the weather gets warmer. Wayside stalls have also been noticed close to busy roundabouts, often leading to long tailbacks as drivers park their vehicles haphazardly to make their purchases.
Selling from the side of roads is governed by the Food Safety Act, which covers food production, processing, storing, distribution, transportation and presentation for sale. The changes in the law announced in 2017 was aimed at including more specific rules for the different activities.
The idea had been to introduce the amendments through a legal notice aimed at making the law more sector-specific. However, such a legal notice has yet to be published.
The Commissioner for Environment and Planning, David Pace, who forms part of the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, highlighted the health risks of consuming food while dining al fresco in 2017.
The grey area seems to be getting wider
A spokesman from the Ministry of Health said that the matter was still being discussed, and that the Environmental Health Directorate will be issuing a set of sector-specific guidelines (not laws) explaining prerequisites specific to different food handling operations.
Contacted about the matter, the CEO of the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU), Abigail Mamo, who has been vocal about the issue for years, said she was not aware of the rules ever being introduced.
Reiterating that street vendors in general needed to be regulated, Ms Mamo said that while some farmers had permission to sell their produce outside their fields, this did not mean anybody could set up shop anywhere they pleased.
“We have been saying that this is a problem and a grey area for years. The grey area seems to be getting wider as people become more creative,” Ms Mamo said.
“This is just one of the many issues related to street vendors that needs to be regulated.”
She insisted that those setting up such stalls at roundabouts, for instance, were breaking a series of rules, including those on traffic and health and safety.