GAM steps up crackdown on street vendors — official

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has  intensified its campaign against street vendors in the capital ahead of Eid Al Fitr holiday, a GAM official said on Sunday.

Ahmad Ebbini, the director of the GAM department to monitor street vendors, said inspectors were focussing on hotspots with a large presence of street traders ahead of the feast, which is expected to begin on Tuesday depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.

“Areas like Bayader Wadi Al Seer, Jabal Al Hussein and downtown Amman receive many street vendors during these days before the start of the Eid holiday. We are working round-the-clock to remove them from the streets,” he told The Jordan Times.

He said that during Ramadan, GAM teams have been removing 30 street vendors daily and another 30 after iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast at sunset.“We destroy the stalls and we fine the traders who want to retrieve their goods. There have also been complaints from families about the vendors’ behaviour,” he added.

 Garment Traders Association President Sultan Allan said street vendors usually start selling their goods five days ahead of the Eid holiday.

“We hope that this trend will not continue after Eid. We need tangible results by designating a specific space for street vendors,” he added.

Ebbini said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times that the municipality tried to allocate a specific location for street vendors but they refused to remain in one spot.

Every year, street vendors gather on pavements outside shops to sell their goods, leading to complaints from shopkeepers who say the stalls harm their businesses during peak trading seasons.