Nugegoda pavement hawkers’ mall ready for business

By Shirajiv Sirimane

The first stage of the Nugegoda shopping complex for pavement hawkers will be opened in the second week of November.

The complex was built in a record 15 days.

The complex located near the bus station adjoining the Super Market can accommodate 186 shops which was designed and constructed by the Central Engineering Consultation Bureau (CECB). The client for the project is Ministry of Economic Development.

Chairman, CECB, Nihal Rupasinghe said that the complex has been designed in such a way that shopping could go on in the night. “We want to create a 24-hour concept similar to the one in Pettah,” he said.

Although it does not come under their purview, the CECB took up the development of pavements and surroundings. “We wanted to save time”, he said. The Nugegoda complex cost around Rs. 15 million which also included the construction of pavements and other infrastructure.

With the facelift given to the Nugegoda Super market area, plans are now underway to introduce a night food fiestas. “We want to create an open dining area like in Singapore and Malaysia so that night time businesses could go on bringing in additional revenue to the vendors in the area.” CECB is now planning to build 200 additional shops near the present vegetable market, with construction beginning in December.

“This area is highly congested and is throughly disorganized.”

Unauthorized pavements not only create problems for pedestrians and motorists but also open the doors for other forms of vices. People who purchase items from unauthorised pavement hawkers have no hold to complain about the product or to exchange the items as the hawker may not be there the next day.

He said that plans are also underway to introduce the shopping complex concept in other areas in the Western province.

Mahinda Kahadagama, President of the Pavement Hawkers Association said that they are not opposing the removal of pavement hawkers as they are provided with better facilities and a secure place to carry on with their businesses.

He said that due to this factor some people who do not own pavements are now enlisting through politicians and try to set up businesses in the new ‘pavement super markets’ while the original ‘man’ who was doing business on the pavement for several years is being deprived.

He said that they are also happy that the government is building another 500 shops behind the present Pettah pavement market. In addition further 500 shops would also be built in Pettah.

“There were 1887 registered pavement hawkers and with these two projects coming into operation all of them would have a place do their businesses,” he said.