Over 100 amulet vendors in the Tha Prachan area of the capital have been banned from setting up stalls on pavements, in a bid to ease congestion and improve safety.
The narrow pavement on Prachan Road is being cleared for pedestrians with 111 amulet vendors banned from the area yesterday. Apichart Jinakul
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday launched another operation to remove street vendors' stalls from Phrachan Road, next to Thammasat University.
Vichai Sangparpai, adviser to the Bangkok governor, said 111 amulet vendors have opened their stalls on the narrow pavements, making it difficult for pedestrians to get by and forcing them to walk on the road, which risks accidents.
This also affects traffic, he added.
The BMA will be working with the Fine Arts Department, the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the Crown Property Bureau to carry out measures to tidy up the area.
The Phra Nakorn district office banned vendors yesterday from the pavements in the area.
A total of 50 district officers will remain posted on Prachan Road until the end of this month.
Any vendors caught violating the BMA order will be fined 2,000 baht in accordance with the 1992 act on Maintaining Public Cleanliness and Public Order, he said.
The road will undergo a makeover with pavements cleaned and the walls of Wat Mahathat temple re-painted.
Road signs and defective water drainage pipes will also be replaced and new trees will be planted.
The water pumping system will also be improved, he added.