Main focus for relocation of former Mariya Kade market:

Brighter future for pavement hawkers

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

Special Commissioner Omar Kamil in discussion with officials

Pavement hawkers' centre at Norris Canal

Mariya Kade market

It is the desire of all to see a better Colombo; a city that is clean, green, attractive and dynamic. If all stakeholders work together and work hard the Colombo city can be transformed in to a world-class city, globally recognized as a thriving, dynamic and attractive regional hub that is the centrepiece of '21st Century Sri Lanka: the Miracle of Asia'.

That was how Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa conceptualized the future of the Colombo city when he delivered the Sujata Jayawardena memorial oration at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo recently.

In his speech he identified many issues that has to be addressed immediately to make that dream city a reality during our lifetime.

The removal of shanties and relocating shanty dwellers in proper habitats, relocation of certain facilities that will obstruct the city appearance and relocation of major government buildings outside Colombo city were some of the measures identified to be addressed immediately to make Colombo a clean, green, attractive and dynamic city.

Another immediate measure he identified was the relocation of pavement hawkers.

"It was realized early on that although these people carried out their business in unauthorized structures that obstructed city activities, they comprised a large group of self-employed people with a lot of entrepreneurial spirit.

That is why the Government has helped these people by constructing separate central market facilities where they can continue to ply their trades. Similar initiatives have been taken to relocate pavement hawkers in Borella and Nugegoda", the Defence Secretary said.

Therefore, the relocation of pavement hawkers has become one of the priority issues to be addressed by city godfathers as all the pavement hawkers have been removed from their usual business places in the city to pave the way for the hazzle free walk for the pedestrians.

Although the first step of providing alternative places for these pavement hawkers initiated under Economic Development Ministry the Colombo Municipal Council took over the programme of providing alternative business places for these pavement hawkers.

"We have not forgotten the pavement hawkers. We consider them as a self employed group who have no other means of employment. At the same time they have also been contributing to the national economy although they were not paying taxes to the government.

The main factor is that they have not become a burden to the government and they were not asking for Samurdhi", Special Commissioner of the Colombo Municipal Council, Omar Kamil told the Sunday Observer commenting on the program they had initiated to provide alternative places for pavement hawkers.

Working in line with the vision of Defence Secretary, the CMC has already provided three alternative places for pavement hawkers who had lost their livelihood after they were removed from pavements in the city.

Two alternative places for the Pettah pavement hawkers and one alternative place at Norris Canal for the pavement hawkers at the Hospital Square have already been completed by the CMC.

But, there was no alternative place for the pavement hawkers who had engaged in their business around Maradana junction and Mariya Kade area.

But one building which had been idling for decades due to non-occupation of vendors and traders drew the attention of the Presidential Investigative Unit.

The premises which used to be the Mariyakade public market was drawn to the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Western Province Local Authorities Development meeting held in Panadura few months back.

"President Mahinda Rajapaksa drew our attention towards this building to be used as an alternative place for the pavement hawkers around Maradana junction and Mariyakade", Omar Kamil added.

The building which was erected in early 1980s as a permanent building for the vendors used to have a thriving business at Mariyakade area due to arrival of large crowds to purchase their daily needs relatively at a low price.

"Due to some deficits in the building design lesser number of people went inside the market to purchase their daily needs and traders and vendors who started their businesses inside the market came out for their usual business on the pavement", Kamil added.

Lack of parking area to facilitate the consumers arriving there to buy their stuff was also one of the reasons for the market not reaching the desired aims.

Therefore, Mariyakade market remained abandoned for a long period.

"You have to conduct your businesses at places where people are gathering for their daily needs. If the place is not attractive people are not visiting the place. Then you find it as not a successful market", Kamil added.

"With a view to accommodate the pavement hawkers who aare engaged in trade outside the market and those who are in the pavements the building which has remained abandoned for years is now being repaired and redesigned to accommodate hundreds of pavement hawkers around Maradana", Kamil added.

Necessary arrangements have been taken to redesign the frontal area and open main frontal area to Deans Road section enabling the public to see the market from outside.

"We are going to accommodate nearly 200 pavement hawkers in this building providing them a permanent place under a shelter for their businesses", Kamil added.

According to Deputy Municipal Commissioner Engineering, Visaka Dias the building has been colour-washed and improved by the CMC workers after changing its appearance.

"We have not changed the interior structure and we are not going to put up structures inside. We are just demarcating the ground, enabling the hawkers to have their businesses as they wish", she added.

"We can accommodate hawkers selling different items in different floors and to expand it if necessary", she added.

For parking we can allocate the internal road for the Deans Road to come out from Siemens Road as temporary shelters have been removed from that area.

According to Omar Kamil, once the pavement hawkers are accommodated at the Deans Road Pavement Hawkers Centre, the CMC can easily monitor their activities and also charge Rs.50 fee per day.

"Hopefully we are going to open the Deans Road Hawkers Complex very soon with the participation of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa as the Chief guest", Kamil added.