Phnom Penh street vendors block road to protest relocation

Vendors protest against the decision to relocate them yesterday. AKP

Street vendors protesting a ban on stalls at Doeum Kor Market on Monireth Boulevard in Phnom Penh blocked roads yesterday, demanding that they be allowed to reopen their businesses.

Vending has also been banned on Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, and roads surrounding the market in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Kork district, as authorities step up efforts to restore public order, ease traffic congestion, improve urban sanitation and safety in the capital.

Vendors said that the new location where they have been told to move is too far from their established customer base, raising concerns that foot traffic would drop leading to declining sales.

“Moving away means fewer customers and unstable earnings,” protesters said, urging authorities to allow them to continue trading at the current site.

A vendor who did not wish to be named said that some of them agreed to relocate to Win-Win Boulevard in Prek Pnov district. However, others did not want to move fearing a dent in business.

“The new location is far from the city where we will not get many customers, and so our livelihood will be affected,” she said.

The protest yesterday prompted city authorities to intervene, with Deputy Governor Sok Penhvuth leading a working group to mediate with vendors to let the road reopen to traffic.

While a significant number of vendors have agreed to relocate to the new place, a group continued to protest on the road.

The obstruction caused traffic congestion and disrupted public order along the busy stretch in Tuol Kork district, Penhvuth said.

Penhvuth said that vendors who agree to move to the new market will receive a fee stall for two years, after which they will be charged a rent of $30 per month, without a deposit. Water, electricity, sanitation and trash collection will be free.

Officials reiterated that vending on sidewalks and encroaching onto the street—sometimes occupying half the width—has long undermined public order, leading to traffic snarls.KhmerTime