Yerevan mayor intends to curb illegal street trading
Speaking to reporters after a session of the Council of Elders, he said the problem is two-sided. On the one hand, citizens demand that street trading be banned, on the other hand street vendors, selling mostly fruits and vegetables, argue that this is their sole source of income and if they are driven from streets they will be unable to keep their families.
‘We will allow them to sell their goods in streets until January 1, next year, but after that the vendors will have to obey law," Marutyan said.
According to Marutyan, the police do not clear sidewalks of street traders not because of indifference, but because of compassion on their difficult socio-economic conditions. However, the mayor urged street vendors not to abuse the good will of the city authorities and not to confuse democracy with permissiveness.
“Today, people confuse the rule of law with permissiveness, confuse revolution with anarchy. We are explaining to them what they should not abuse,” he said. -0-