‘GAM to clamp down on shops obstructing pavements’

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality will step up efforts to stop retailers obstructing pavements by displaying their wares on stalls outside their shops, a GAM official said on Wednesday. 

Around 23 per cent of the violations recorded in the last six months were related to retailers “exploiting the pavements” to market goods near shops, said Mervat Mheirat, the director of GAM’s health supervision department. 

“As Ramadan began, the violations in front of shops increased. We took the decision to take stricter measures against those who violate regulations,” she told The Jordan Times, referring to the Muslim fasting month that started on June 5 and ended on July 5.

“Many traders use the pavement to market food, and this can make the items on display unfit for human consumption,” Mheirat added. 

The GAM official said the stalls block the paths of pedestrians, and pose a danger to the public in crowded areas.  

“The pavements are for pedestrians and not goods. Some traders believe if they display their goods on pavements, they will attract more customers,” the official told The Jordan Times.

But shop owners are not licensed to use the sidewalk, she said. 

GAM will issue fines and refer violators to court for disturbing the public, she said, adding that in the case of repeat offenders, shops would be closed down. 

Ghassan Khirfan, the vice president of the Amman Chamber of Commerce, said some retailers set up stalls in front of their shops to prevent other vendors from doing so. 

“We have suggested to GAM that shops could use around 40 square centimetres of the pavement as a [shop window], to stop street vendors from placing stalls,” he told The Jordan Times.

“Shop owners at least have a known registered identity. Street vendors cannot be held accountable because they are not officially registered,” Khirfan added.

Haidar Najjar, a shop employee, said that displaying products on the pavement helps attract potential customers.

“Stricter measures will cause more losses at shops, especially in an area that is not known as a shopping hub,” said Najjar, who works in a shop near Jubeiha. 

“We will lose many customers,” he told The Jordan Times.

But Saad Ababneh, who works at a store in Amman’s Sweifieh, said shop owners prefer “better monitoring systems” on pavements for safety reasons.

“The safety of our customers comes first. Pavements are not an extension to shops. Amman should be more pedestrian-friendly, and that can happen by implementing stricter rules on stores,” Ababneh said.