Thailand's capital pilots free space for street hawkers

Illustrative image (Photo: CNA)

Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand's capital city of Bangkok has kicked off a project to offer space free of charge for hawkers and street vendors in the heart of the city in a bid to clear cluttered pavements.

The project named "Hello Hab-Re" (Hello hawkers) is piloted outside the Samyan Mitrtown mixed-use shopping complex on Rama IV Road.

It will reorganise hawkers and street vendors in the city by allocating suitable areas that do not block public footpaths. The operator of the complex has agreed to provide space next to its building for registered vendors to use for free from Monday to Friday, 8am-2pm and 3pm-8pm.

Chairing the launch ceremony, Governor of Bangkok Chadchart Sittipunt thanked the operator of Samyan Mitrtown for providing the space, saying it would increase shopping opportunities, promote small entrepreneurs, and help tidy up the city. He said he hoped more private property owners would join the project in the future.

According to the official, all vendors joining the “Hello Hab-Re” project had passed food and sanitary standards./.