Street vendors told to get off the curb |25 November 2017

Street vendors who have set up their tents, tables and trucks all around Victoria will now have to relocate to the ex-children playground.

The deadline for the move has been set for Monday, November 27 and was announced in a press conference held at the Mayor’s office on Wednesday.

It is an effort which will see around 50 vendors - who are currently located in areas such as on the pavements near the Immaculate Conception ‒ ousted from the curbs and the roadsides.

In attendance at the press conference were representatives from the Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA), Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA), Small Enterprise Promotion Agency (Senpa), Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation, as well as from the police force.

According to the mayor, David Andre, this decision is the result of months of consultations between these above entities to find solutions to the nuisances and dangers posed by the vendors.

“It is a decision that has been taken to ensure safety and order in Victoria especially since the hectic end of year celebrations is approaching,” the mayor explained to the media houses.

The mayor emphasised that the committee’s aim is not to prevent these street merchants from making a living but rather to offer an alternative spot for them to gather and sell their goods.

The representative of SLTA, Desire Payet, additionally stated that the arrangement will remove the illegal stalls out of pedestrian and motorists’ paths.

Reference was made to an incident a few months ago when a tourist was run over by a vehicle while attempting to avoid a street vendor’s stall near Victoria market.

“The pavements are meant for pedestrians and the roads are meant for transport,” Mr Payet insisted.

Senpa will be responsible for co-ordinating and monitoring the relocation and Penny Belmont, Senpa’s chief executive, revealed the site will not be free of charge.

“We will be charging a fee, either R100 or R200, so that we can finance the work Senpa is putting into this project,” she contributed.

The vendors are also going to face stringent working hours which will start from 7am to 5pm. Extra charges are expected to be applied to those who wish to keep their stalls during Senpa’s fair activities, including Bazar Victoria.

However this alternative is not permanent as the vendors will once again have to relocate in two years time to allow for further development on the site.