Side-walk 'Hustle'

 "Houses make a town, but citizens make a city"- Rousseau

The photo above illustrates typical street vending on Charlotte Street, Port of Spain. Charlotte Street is considered to be the ‘street vendor capital’ of the city, as it is not unusual to see both sides of the street completely lined with roadside vendors, particularly from Thursdays through to Saturdays. Street vending also occurs in other parts of the country, including High Street, San Fernando and Main Road, Chaguanas. These vendors sell an array of items, ranging from clothing and household items as well as agricultural produce either in small kiosks or stalls, which allows them to have flexible locations.

According to the Dualist school of thought, many vendors engage in roadside trade due to poverty and their inability to obtain jobs in the formal economy. As such, the low barriers to entry allow street vending to be used as a refuge occupation to earn a subsistence income. On the other hand, others simply choose a life of street vending due to its flexible conditions that can earn an income without the costs and risks associated with operating a formal store-front business  (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing, 2014).

However, street vending greatly adds to the issue of congestion in cities, especially in Port of Spain. Firstly, it adds to vehicular congestion as carts often narrow road space, thereby slowing traffic flow, as well as pedestrian congestion as consumers stop along the pavements to observe and purchase the affordable sale items. I have, personally, experienced both of these first hand, and so I've learnt (the hard way) that driving down Charlotte Street, especially on a weekday afternoon, is always a no-no, and that walking along this road will definitely result in you reaching your destination a minute away, at least, 10 minutes later. This congestion also leads to numerous problems including increased incidence of vehicular accidents, increased air pollution levels from exhaust and impediment of the flow of emergency vehicles, such as police, fire service, and the ambulance which poses a safety hazard to all city users. Moreover, overcrowded side-walks encourage pedestrians to walk in the roadway, which, similarly, hinders the flow of traffic, as well as distract motorists, thereby heightening the risk of accidents (Moustafa et al., 2012). Street vending also contributes to city pollution, of land, water and visually, as vendors often neglect the collection of ‘waste’ i.e. goods and produce that may have fallen into nearby drains or along the pavement after a day of sales. This often leads to clogging of drains, thus exacerbating the issue of flooding, which already plagues the city of POS.

As a result, Gregory Aboud, the president of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association, made it clear that its members were strongly against plans of the local government to develop a temporary street market on Charlotte Street. After much debate, plans were altered to allocate specific days for street vending on Charlotte Street for T&T nationals only (Maraj, 2008). It can be argued that the government chose to regulate roadside trade, rather than eradicate its existence, as street vending provides an integral part to urban economies, through the convenient provision of affordable goods to consumers, as well as the upholding of cultural heritage. Thus, street vendors are, essentially, a vital component of the unique, defining character of our down-town, which enliven the City, while still providing a valuable service to customers.

References:

Maraj , Leiselle. 2008. "PoS businessmen against Charlotte Street vending." Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, May 17, 2008. Accessed April 9, 2014. http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,79063.html.

Moustafa , H. Et al. 2012. "Dealing with Street Vendors in Public Spaces | Salma El-Banna - Academia.edu." Academia.edu - Share research. Last modified November 10, 2012. http://www.academia.edu/4826122/Dealing_with_Street_Vendors_in_Public_Spaces.

Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing. 2014. "Key Debates about Street Vending | WIEGO." WIEGO | Informal Workers - Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing & Organizing. Last modified 2014. http://wiego.org/informal-economy/key-debates-about-street-vending.