A thousand street vendor have been the norm for DT Amman for a long time
Following H.M.king Abdullah visit to the mosque over Eid noticed the ugly vendors taking over the streets,he scalded the officials and ordered an immediate end to chaos and disorder.
Recent days hundreds of riot police cleaned the streets and footpath from the vendors and gave DT Amman a new friendly look.
Some of the streets 40 meters wide were reduced to one or two lanes in the past are now handling 4 or five lanes of traffic.Visitors to Amman now can enjoy walking around the foothpath without obstructions from spruikers and their merchandise.
If you notice big number of police presence on the streets they are there to maintain law and order nothing to worry about.
Exception is Fridays and Eid where vendors can return to the streets in orderly manner.
I read about this in the Jordan Times, but haven't been to Amman for the last few weeks to see it. So Mister King brings in riot police to evict informal traders who try to make a living, and the purpose is to free more lanes for car traffic? Way to go, your majesty. Isn't this (the first part) how the revolution in Tunisia started...? I guess the authorities want to imitate Doha, where you have miles of the Corniche right in the city centre (from the pearl monument to the new downtown) with absolutely NOTHING. A wide footpath (where everything, including cycling, is prohibited) between the sea and a highway. No shops, no kiosks, no vendors, no people, no life. A sure way to bring more tourists to Amman, which - as we all know - is already the most exciting, colourful, authentic and picturesque capital of the Arab world (cough).
post# 1 you are right in many aspects.What has been happening is traders are selling the footpath and the streets in front of their stores yes for as much as 500 JD a month to allow others to use it.Drug gangs selling illicit stuff,pick pockets thriving where in tight places where people gathered.I had two attempts on me this yer alone.Women being harrassed bottom pinched. and more.
Street vendors good for the city in orderly controlled manner and not the way it has been in the past.
cheers
What a facetious and disrespectful comment. The King has taken a courageous and much needed action against
illicit street traders and everyone in the Downtown is delighted with his action especially the shops where those illegals parked their tables and wares in front of them, selling their goods at less prices (because they have no overheads like the shops do) - and threatened anyone who tried to tell them to move. These people have been given alternative space in Abdali and Wehdat and its not a case of 'evicting informal traders trying to make a living'... No country allows this, they all have laws against street peddlers, hawkers etc.. Jordan is no exception.
I would like to make it clear that I am not against street traders per sey, but the Downtown area had gotten beyond the pale. Places like Souk Jara where street trading is licensed and orderly is a great success and the traders' clean and take care of the area. In addition some street traders can apply for permission and some do have relevant permissions, however it came to official notice that some corruption was involved with municipality workers being the owners of some of these street vending plots.
It's not just to free the public highway for cars (and if it was, its highly justified due to the chaotic situation these people created) its to free the pavements for people to walk and to allow legal shops & traders to conduct their business in a respectable and legitimate manner. To cut down on the amount of rubbish littering the streets that these people also leave strewn about.
To attempt to compare Doha Corniche to Downtown Amman is ludicrous as are your obnoxious comments about Amman in general.
Downtown Amman is now easier to drive through, nice to walk through, safer and cleaner - and indeed more pleasant overall. A Big 'Thank You to His Majesty the King for resolving this situation immediately and making this clean sweep in the Downtown.
I am new to Amman I could not help notice the crazy situation it was and make that news worthy sujbject to the forum.I admit i did not know the all the facts about the ugly situation.thanks for post Mesha very informative .I can now enjoy a walk in the souq and drive my car with ease on city streets in a civilised manner.
Visitors to Amman will be delighted to see it and enjoy a stroll or do shopping.
.I hope it stays that way.
cheers
You can read more here : http://jordantimes.com/protecting-consumers-ammans-image-at-heart-of-street-vendor-crackdown----gam
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