Rabat Authorities Crack Down on Street Vendors During Eid al-Adha

Crusade against street vendors in Rabat. The local authorities have reactivated patrols in various neighborhoods of the capital where street vendors have regained possession of the streets, reports Al Akhbar. They have identified infractions related to the illegal occupation of public space, particularly by cafes and restaurants. This operation follows the correspondence addressed by the residents of these neighborhoods to the competent services, calling on them to intervene. In Youssoufia, the residents’ complaints boil down to the proliferation of anarchic markets in this residential area, particularly during this Eid Al-Adha period. They deplore the nuisances caused by the street vendors, who are deteriorating their living conditions.

Faced with this situation, civil society actors are proposing several options, including the reservation of empty spaces near the areas where street vendors are most present, in order to allow them to settle there while remaining close to their customers. According to explanations from a source within the Coalition of Civil Society Associations in Rabat, the capital has several neighborhood markets whose development has required heavy investments. Except that the street vendors prefer to illegally occupy public space, due to the scarcity of customers.