Majority of Pakistanis support street vendors

[Naveed Yaseen]

Majority of Pakistanis support street vendors and do not want their abolition, despite concerns of congestion and safety.

According to a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan and released by the Gilani Research Foundation, 69 per cent of the respondents said the vendors should not be abolished because selling food and other items on wheel is common in the country.

Furthermore, 73 per cent of the respondents said the vendors come to their areas while 26 per cent said that no such vendors visit their streets.

The survey revealed that the street-side and portable vendors are more common in urban areas as compared to the rural areas and interestingly, a slightly higher percentage of respondents from Sindh said the vendors come to their area.

Responding to the question about what the vendors sell, 79 per cent said vendors in their area usually sell fruits and vegetables, 79 per cent said fish and 66 per cent said kitchen utensils. They also sell plants and flowers according to 64 per cent while 55 per cent said they usually buy socks, sweaters and clothes.

According to the survey,

in recent years, street vendors have been restricted by the local government due to concerns about quality, safety and congestion.

Some of the respondents say that vendors sitting in front of the shops are encroachers, while others say they are a source of income for the poor and should not be removed or dislocated.

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