HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
Several streets in the city of Agadir, especially in the Al Farah district, are witnessing a state of chaos just two days before the Eid al-Adha holiday, due to the intense spread of street vendors who have occupied sidewalks and large parts of the roads to display their goods, in a scene that raises many questions about the extent of the local authorities' intervention to control this situation.
According to what the "HIBAPRESS" newspaper observed, some road axes have turned into random sales points, where vendors not only occupied public property, but their activity extended to disrupt traffic, causing repeated traffic congestion, especially during peak periods, which see a large turnout of shoppers in preparation for the holiday. This situation has not been without tensions, as several verbal altercations were recorded between street vendors and car drivers, as a result of the constriction of the road and the absence of clear organization that ensures traffic flow and at the same time preserves everyone's right to the legal use of public space. Observers believe that the exacerbation of this phenomenon on such occasions reflects the absence of sustainable solutions to contain street vendors, who find in these periods an opportunity to promote their goods and achieve additional income, in exchange for the damage to residents and road users from the accompanying chaos. Pending decisive intervention from the competent authorities to restore order to the streets, the question remains about ways to reconcile the right to work and respect for the law, in a way that guarantees an urban image befitting the city of Agadir as a prominent tourist and economic destination.
