BMA starts Bo Bae trader crackdown

BMA starts Bo Bae trader crackdown

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has launched an operation to regulate street vendors in the Bo Bae area.

A street vendor in the Bo Bae market of Bangkok begs Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai, an adviser to the Bangkok governor, right, to allow her to continue selling her goods on the pavement, following an operation by City Hall to ban street vending in the area. Somchai Poomlard

A team of soldiers, police and city inspectors, known as tetsakij officers, led by Wallop Suwandee, chief adviser to the city governor, and Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai, launched the operation yesterday in the Bo Bae area along Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem.

The BMA plans to regulate street vendors in the area by allowing them to work during a set time. They are targeting traders in the area from Saphan Khao intersection to Kasatsuek intersection.

The move is aimed at clearing space on the pavements and returning footpaths to pedestrians.

Backed by the military, the officers yesterday removed stalls and cleared space on one side of the pavement. Only vendors who had registered with City Hall are allowed to continue selling products.

Vendors at Bo Bae market are allowed to sell their products on one side of the pavement from 9am to 3pm, and on both sides from 11pm to 5am, every day.

The vendors are not allowed to work on the road.

Before the operation started yesterday, there were around 350 stalls. After the officers moved in the number dropped to 200. The vendors must fit in the new regulated space.

However, of the 200 stall operators, the officers found that only 140 had registered with City Hall.

The authorities will let roughly 650 vendors who have no space to ply their trade during the day to sell at night instead. Extra space has been opened up by City Hall in nearby areas for the vendors to work at night, said Mr Wallop.

Mr Wallop said City Hall urged vendors not to return to areas where the ban has been enforced.

Vendors who violate the regulation will be punished, he said.  

Authorities who fail to carry out their duties by enforcing the ban in their areas would also face disciplinary action, he said.   

During the inspection, some vendors protested about the ban, and tried to make the BMA officials review it. Pol Maj Gen Wichai accepts the regulation has upset vendors.

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