Prasanna Ranatunga doesn't want pavement hawkers

22 June 2015 06:04 pm - 22 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has instructed Western Provincial Council Commissioner Chandrani Samarakoon not to allow pavement hawkers to conduct their businesses on the pavements of Colombo City.

Colombo Mayor A.J.M.Muzammil had reportedly requested the Police Chief to allow pavement hawkers to sell goods on the pavement.

The chief minister had written to the commissioner requesting her to intervene in the matter and uphold the ban on pavement hawking.

He had said that he could not accept the mayor’s decision because, if the authorities permitted the sale of goods on the pavement, it would directly affect the public.

As he could not allow the public be harmed, the chief minister had directed the commissioner to act on the matter and inform him of the action she had taken within three days.

The letter also said that Colombo had been named as the first in the list of fastest developed cities in the world, because of the previous regime's efforts to develop the city.

Former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa had given alternative sites for the pavement hawkers to do their business, and the latest move by the mayor clearly showed that he was just trying to gain political advantage by destroying the Colombo City development project, he had alleged.(Jayantha Samarakoon)

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Comments - 22

Marikkar Tuesday, 23 June 2015 11:05 AM

Former defence secretary has done much to clean the roads and pavements for the public. Please do not allow this measure to unclean and unsafe for the public. Also this steps taken now in nothing but a political mileage for the benefits of the present govt. So, please do not allow this and does this really mean Yahapalanaya.

ranjith Chandrasekera Wednesday, 24 June 2015 06:06 AM

Please do not vandalize Colombo City by bringing in payment hawkers back to business. This not only inconvenience the pedestrians but support other criminal activities, drug dealings, pickpockets, public being cheated, threatened, abused and even assaulted over arguments about pricing and poor quality of products sold by most payment hawkers.Thanks to previous UDA administration Colombo was becoming popular as a beautiful city in Asia, once named Garden City of South Asia during Colonial era.

Veritas Tuesday, 23 June 2015 05:14 PM

It seems to me there is no will to carry through on anything that is mandated in this country. Full-face helmets and then no full-face helmets and then back! What about the high-decibel horns of buses and lorries, tippers in particular? What happened to the idea of testing the decibel level and insisting the horns be adjusted? Uniforms for bus drivers and conductors? We all have seen the disgusting shirts these guys are now wearing. How long do you think two free shirts will last? Pavement hawkers? Same thing. They have never left Dehiwala Junction. Maharagama opposite the bus station? The pavements are narrow in the first place, and on one side of the street they are non-existent. Pedestrians are forced to walk on the side of the street, putting their lives in jeopardy as all of the traffic coming from Colombo must pass down that street to get to the expressway and to the outer suburbs. There is no way if the will is absent.

Veritas Tuesday, 23 June 2015 05:00 PM

You mean "rogue." rouge is French, meaning red.

Wasanthq Wijewardane Tuesday, 23 June 2015 04:50 PM

Thank you! Prasanna.

mountain Tuesday, 23 June 2015 03:45 PM

yes of course . how can he walk if pavement is full. via DM Android App

Rubert Vanderkoon Tuesday, 23 June 2015 03:24 PM

Bala, wake up fella, this is the 21st century. This is not remote area, but city area. Pavement vending is irresponsible, third world mentality. We have to move on.

Sarath Tuesday, 23 June 2015 03:05 PM

Thanks to MR and GR Colombo City was improved.Just to get political advantage brainless people try to spoil the city

Mr.Foxe Tuesday, 23 June 2015 01:11 PM

Is the Mayor out of his onions. What kind of a guy is he? The people can work freely now without being troubled by these pavement hawkers. The mess the entire city again.

ActionMan Tuesday, 23 June 2015 01:10 PM

The decision by the previous regime was correct to evict the payment hawkers. The alternatives provided though were not ideal.This regime needs to provide proper alternatives and not bring them back in the payment. via DM Android App

Mason Tuesday, 23 June 2015 11:46 AM

The alternate sites provided, if they are satisfactory it is a good move to have the pavement hawkers shifted. This will be a great boon to pedestrians.Keep politics aside and do what is good for the people.

Dilip Tuesday, 23 June 2015 01:41 AM

Thank you Sir, a very good decision. Definitely the mayor is trying to get political gains.what a lot of work was done to bring the city up to this standard. Thanks again.

Bala Tuesday, 23 June 2015 11:00 AM

Easier said than done. Floating market is dead. Bodirajamarkets a failure. People want to have selling points where people gather. Do you think a supermarket in a remote area will be successful.

Srinath Tuesday, 23 June 2015 10:58 AM

Allowing rogue traders to use pavements,Bad for healthBad for safetyBad for tax paying proper vendors.Enough of election gilmart!

upali Tuesday, 23 June 2015 10:53 AM

Country is marching backward.

PoPo Tuesday, 23 June 2015 10:23 AM

A poor man always supports a poor man. A rouge supports rouges. This is plan logic.

Colombo man Tuesday, 23 June 2015 10:21 AM

Fully agree with Prasanna Ranathunga this time, Muzammil is a mare political game player

jay Tuesday, 23 June 2015 10:17 AM

typical cheap popularity for elections. after elections hawkers will be hacked.

Prem Nath Tuesday, 23 June 2015 10:00 AM

It was the UNP which started the business of pavement hawkers.R.Premadasa took this even further by putting up sheds in the middle of the road of main street Pettah and allowed the payment hawkers to do their business,between the shop owners on either side,who paid heavy rents and lost business due to this bad situation.After the previous government had taken definite steps to discourage this practice and even provide specified built up areas for these hawkers and clean up the city,why does the mayor want to make the city untidy and unrurly elements run amock.Hoping to please the hawkers to vote for the UNP? YES.

sacre blieu Tuesday, 23 June 2015 09:16 AM

There is more to it than meets the eye. There are far too many on these streets. Even the good they sell are not subject to any rent nor tax. Some of the shop keepers sell their outdated products through them. Smuggled goods and some confiscated items also see their way here. there is also a kind of racket at Maharagama, with a sudden burst of payment hawkers on all roads and even on the main highway. There may be an attempt to get access to stalls at the new market complex and, as is in Pettah, to sell it or rent it afterwards. So most of the genuine traders get left out by racketeers.

prasanna Tuesday, 23 June 2015 08:58 AM

Destroying what has been done was not the expectation from Maithree and the clan when we voted on 8th. Looks like the "hora" had a better vision for the country than the yaha palanaya.

SL Tuesday, 23 June 2015 08:56 AM

Noo!Pawment shall be free of sellers,what this mayor is trying to do ? He is trying to spoil hard earned beauty of the Colombo city.Find a place for them to sell their goods and attract people/customers to the area !

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Prasanna Ranatunga doesn't want pavement hawkers

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