Street Trading, more consultation needed…

No one will argue street hawking, especially on expressways is safe.
 
Its not only dangerous, but chaotic and provides cover for criminals, but especially in Lagos, where you can spend hours in traffic, they have become a “sight and sound”, serving the hungry, the curious, the impulse shoppers, everyone….
 
In fact many International, multinational brands specifically repack their products to make them “Lagos go-slow compliant”…heck some commercial banks sold shares of their banks in traffic….
 
Look at the guys selling on the streets, young boys, unemployed……what will happen if we ban street trading?….certainly crime will go up…as these chaps become unemployed….so do we then allow laws go unenforced because of fear of crime?
 
NO.
 
I fully understand the position of the Lagos State Government, BRT assets funded with tax payers cash cannot be destroyed under any circumstance,…i agree, but what what can we do with the traders? many are on expressways because there are simply not enough stores, affordable stores.
 
indeed, there have to be more quick service sales points at BRT stations, and more markets, (not malls) …. local market.
 
For now a ban on trading on expressways is needed to simply save lives, and then lets ask for ideas and provide options. This goes way beyond trading, is about education, unemployment, even quality of the roads themselves.
 
its a tough ask, well beyond my pay-grade…
(Photo Credit: CKN)
 
Gov Ambode, do consult widely….