Making a living through a business on the sidewalks isn’t an easy thing to do. From the money that Sapana makes through her hard work, day in and out, she has to look after her family of four. “It is hard to make a profit through this work. The competition is tough as there are many vendors like me. We have to be alert and on the lookout for potential customers all the time,” says Sapana.[break]
On top of that, the usual cat-and-mouse game with the Metropolitan Police has made the lives of vendors like Sapana all the more difficult. The fear of having their goods snatched and getting slapped with a fine ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 is always on the back of their minds.
Photo:Bijay Gajmer
Dhanapati Sapkota, Chief of the Enforcement Division at Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), states that with the authority and provision as per the Self Governance Act 2055, Article 165, they have been using legal action on the vendors who have been found to be encroaching public space.
In the fiscal year 2069/70, 4,633 street vendors were arrested out of whom action was taken against 4,496 and the total revenue collected was Rs 2,145,530.
The revenue had increased as compared to the fiscal year 2068/69 when 3,548 street vendors were arrested and action was taken against 3,148 with a collection of Rs 1,698, 555. Similarly in the year 2067/68, 3,217 were arrested and action was taken against 3,282 of them with the collection of Rs 1,857,505.
“Since the revenue collected has increased over the years, it goes to show that the number of vendors is growing every year,” says Sapkota.
Until quite recently, there were many roadside stalls at the Chakra Path, Maharajgunj and surrounding areas. But those makeshift sheds where the vendors were carrying out their businesses have now been removed.
The main focus area for severe checking however has been Sundhara and Ratna Park. Besides that, KMC has divided the Kathmandu Valley into four divisions where checking troops are sent. The four places are Sundhara, Ratna Park, Dhobi Khola and Lainchaur.
A fixed time scheme had been set for the vendors sometime ago but with the change in the decision from the government, there’s no such timeframe for the street vendors.
KMC is serious on sweeping vendors off the streets and complains of lack of manpower to handle the street vendors who are operating illegally on the streets. There are 146 in the Metropolitan Police and 40 have been taking the responsibility of handling the street vendors.
“The revenue report show that we have been working quite efficiently. But to have more effective results all over the city, we need more manpower,” claims Sapkota.
The Traffic Police and Metropolitan Police have a joint team to tow illegally parked vehicles from the sidewalks and streets and take action against those who obstruct traffic movement. “Similarly, if we have enough manpower or get support or more people from traffic or civil police, then we can control the street vendors in a better way,” he adds.
Though KMC complains of insufficient manpower to curb the ever increasing “problem” of roadside vendors, the street vendors on the other hand, demand an alternative space where they can work with dignity and freedom.
Everyday, Suman Neupane, 37, is spotted at Sundhara with clothes spread over a sack as he waits for customers. It has been a decade since he has been supporting his family with the same business.
“The sidewalk has become my way of life as this is where I spent most of my time,” says Suman who is originally from Nuwakot. He had left his hometown years back in search of better prospects in the capital and in the end opted to sell stuffs on the roadside to feed his family.
During the random inspection of KMC, spaces like Sundhara, which is jam-packed with vendors, become chaotic as they suddenly try to flee the scene. But Suman has become habituated to the hide-and-seek game with the Metropolitan Police and he often succeeds in fleeing the spot before he is caught.
“We panic a lot and we are unable to gather all our goods during random inspections. Though there can be a tussle with the authority, most of the time our goods get snatched and we have to pay a fine too. It is hard to sustain life as a vendor, and on top of that, such incidents take a toll on our financial condition,” he says with a grim expression.
But the scene is totally different in places like Baneshwor and other inner-city areas. Meethu Thapa, 59, has been selling roasted corns, snacks and tidbits for the last forty years and yet she hasn’t faced any problems from the Metropolitan Police.
“We haven’t been able to approach all the nooks and corners as we don’t have enough manpower. So the vendors in these places may be feeling secure to do their business,” says Sapkota.
Narayan Neupane, President of Nepal Street Vendors Union (NEST), says that the main problem has been the lack of space for the vendors to carry out their businesses, and mentions that it is also the state’s responsibility to consider their rights.
He informs that there are around 25,000 vendors in Kathmandu alone and out of whom 15,000 are registered. Besides a secure alternative space to run their business, they also demand registration and identity cards to be issued and a separate law for vendors so that they can also work with dignity. “What we need is a proper law that protects our rights. After all, we are also the citizens of the same country,” he says.
Though vendors demand an alternative space, KMC is not in the position to provide them with a fixed space as they don’t have enough budget. “The problems of street vendors are not in our priority list. There are many vital problems and issues of Kathmandu that need to be taken into consideration. It is simply not possible to replace them in government-owned free spaces, either,” says Sapkota.
He further informs that if they find open spaces, it will be used for parking to manage traffic because the capital has been facing a dearth of proper and enough parking spaces.
“Our demand is that the government should focus with a separate budget for the lower income level city people like the street vendors by creating more organized, legal and respectful employment opportunities,” he adds.
But many vendors don’t see such opportunities knocking on their doors any sooner. Many are obliged to continue their business to earn their living while some are so habituated with their work that they don’t want to leave it.
Bhagirathi Chaulagain, another street vendor, has been in the business for a decade. She used to sell clothes before but now has shifted to selling fresh cucumbers. “It is very hard to work in the monsoon season. Besides that, the inspection by Metropolitan police interrupts our work and leaves us with no options,” she says.
In around 1992, KMC had transferred 200 to 400 street vendors to Brikuti Mandap. In that way both the Khula Manch and Bhrikuti Mandap became overcrowded. With dearth of space, the vendors poured out onto the main streets again.
“But I think that the open space in front of the hall on the Exhibition Road shouldn’t be occupied by vendors. That is because we now lack space when we need to organize and exhibit important events,” says Sapkota.
He informs that the government is also working to develop a policy to allocate a space which can be used as relief camps in times of disasters and they are not considering the issue of vendors as a priority. “The plight of the vendors has not been included in any scheme of the budget because the government thinks the problems can be solved only by creating more alternative employment opportunities,” he says.
A committee led by former mayor of Kathmandu, Keshav Sthapit, had recommended a task force by proposing alternative spaces to solve the issue. But that wasn’t implemented. Similarly, the Social Welfare Council had planned on making a proper shopping mall to place such vendors but their plan also failed to materialize.
Besides the KMC, it was also due to the complaints from the local residents in places like New Road and Khichapokhari that caused vendors to be swept off completely from the streets.
There was a difference in the quality of goods sold by the vendors and the shutter shops, so the shop owners had no complaints against them before. But slowly, goods were bought from the same wholesale market which caused huge differences on the price tags, so more people preferred to buy from the local vendors as it was comparatively much cheaper.
“So the shop owners were threatened with losing their business, and on top of that, they complained of street vendors affecting their social lives as well, which was why we completely got rid of them from Khichapokhari and New Road on their request,” informs Sapkota.
He also gives an example of how the squatters at Thapathali were given double the compensation of Rs 30,000 to leave the space but the problem remains unsolved even now. “So without understanding the psychology of the street vendors, we shouldn’t work on any scheme. We need a proper vision, plan and proper regulation,” he says.
Sapkota also talks about how there has been no change in the laws and policies, nor is there proper surveillance or proper rules being followed.
“There is a need of decentralization so that there are more equal opportunities spread out in the villages and other parts of the country. In that way, people won’t have to come to the capital just to earn their living. So for that, what we need is improvement in policy and the economy,” he says.
But in practice, it isn’t as easy as it may sound as it is the vendors who have to work the hard way. They are left with nothing but to continue the business as their only source of livelihood. It’s high time the government made proper policies to tackle the issue in pragmatic ways ensuring the rights of the vendors and safety and coordination on the city streets.
Kathmandu’s roadside vendors Nuisance or necessity?
Rakshya Pant, 18, is busy bargaining with a roadside shop owner for a T-shirt that she picked out of the bulk spread out at a corner in the bustling streets at Sundhara. After haggling for a few minutes, they settle for Rs 250 and both seller and buyer seem content.
“Depending on the pocket money that I receive, I find shopping at the roadside stores more feasible. Moreover, I think it’s just a matter of being able to choose the best out of the collection,” says Rakshya who is also of the opinion that shopping malls are usually overpriced and out of her league. Originally from Chitwan, she’s in the capital for her Bachelor’s level studies.[break]
There are many students who agree with Rakshya as they find shopping at the street vendors more convenient and inexpensive. Besides clothes, the vendors sell other items like bed sheets, umbrellas, batteries, mobile and camera covers, to name a few, and thus make shopping for such basic items a breeze.
“From daily usage items to fashion accessories like shoes, I’ve made numerous purchases on the streets, that too without any hassle of bargaining as they quote reasonable and sometimes cheaper rates,” says Sarita KC, 24, a finance company employee.
Besides that, the local vendors seem to have a variety of clothing items, many of which are rip-offs of the latest trends seen in the market
“I was delighted to find inexpensive T-shirts of very good quality. I also wanted to wear bright colored pants but I didn’t want to splurge on one at an expensive shop. And I found it right on the streets and it was dirt cheap,” says Arjun Chaulagain, 24, another student who can be seen strolling around checking out the roadside shops.
It’s indeed customers like Raksya, Sarita and Arjun who hunt around for inexpensive items that has also helped sustain the business for the local vendors. Besides supplying a variety of items, street vendors have also been selling assortments of street foods which are mostly popular among the young crowd.
“When I take an evening stroll, it’s fun to stop and enjoy Chat, Samosas and Pani Puris on the roadside with my friends. There’s a different kind of fun when you gorge on such foods standing on the streets. It’s a different kind of fun than eating at a proper restaurant,” says Alisha Shrestha, 18, as she waits for her turn to get Pani Puris from a local vendor at Basantapur.
Alisha also adds that street vendors have often come to her rescue when she had to grab something to eat while being hard pressed for time.
“Eating at roadside stalls is convenient and fun. If they are no longer around, that would make life difficult for many of us,” she says.
There is such demand for relatively inexpensive but scrumptious fast food that has encouraged more street vendors to sell snacks on the capital’s streets.
While those who have been regular customers of the street vendors support them and think they should be around, there are many who beg to differ.
Arun Dhital, 25, is of the opinion that street vendors have often created chaos on the sidewalks, especially for pedestrians.
“Firstly, the streets of Kathmandu are in a bad shape and mismanaged. On top of that, the vendors take up much space and that leaves the pedestrians with little space to walk and navigating their way becomes a struggle,” he adds.
Supporting Arun’s statement, Sarin Khadka, 32, a resident of New Road, complains, “I often see street vendors lined up on the streets on my way home. Sometimes, it’s really difficult to cross the road when I’m on my motorbike,” he says.
Sarin also shares an incident when he once fell off his bike while trying to navigate and squeeze his way through a road lined with vendors.
Though hassle on the streets is one side of the issue, problems faced by the vendors themselves also need to be taken into consideration.
“Selling on the streets is our only source of livelihood, so we can’t stop doing that. If we do so, we won’t have any means to feed our family the next day,” says Laxmi Gurung who thinks that it’s her right to be able to feed her family through decent work, and if that means setting up roadside stalls, then so be it. The street vendors agree with Laxmi as roadside stalls are their only source of income to make their ends meet.
There are both pros and cons when it comes to vendors carrying out their business on the streets. Though there are complaints against vendors obstructing the roads, the government should come up with a proper scheme because many people are dependent on it to meet their needs, and similarly, it’s the vendors’ only means of survival as well.
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