Roadside Trading: A Threat To Human Life in Osun Major Markets
In recent time, road side trading have become common sight in major markets across osun state. This has become a major prevailing form of public disturbance as every roads around these markets now serve as centre of trading activities by market men and women.
At every highway bus stop and adjoining roads to highways especially during traffic rush hours you will find people displaying wares, products and items of different types to potential customers, disregarding the risks, hazards, dangers and illegality associated with such ventures.
Apart from the traffic jam caused by these traders on the road, there have been incidents where vehicles lost control and ran over the traders with many lives lost.
This act of public disturbance and disobedience to regulations guiding commercial trading activities is not peculiar to traders alone, young children who were mostly running errands for their parents also engage in roadside trading. These children face the risk of death while it is more dangerous for first timers because they do not know how to stand by the road and move between vehicles in the traffic. As a result, some have been knocked down while selling wares.
Apparently unmindful of the risk associated with road side and its menace to the society, many traders across major markets in the state are increasingly involve in roadside merchandising.
A trip to major markets like Orisunmibare, Igbona (in osogbo), Ejigbo, Ede, Alamisi in Ikirun and Owode-Ede will leave one wondering if traders indeed placed premium on safety of lives over monetary gains, going by the way and manner they go about roadside trading without caution.
At Owode-Ede market (a popular market, notable for food stuffs and farm produce) our reporter observed the alarming manner at which traders displayed their goods on the road, causing unnecessary hardship for pedestrians.
These (hausa traders) are not the only perpetrators of this eyesore of an act, pepper sellers, fish sellers and sellers of other wares were also seen displaying their items on the main road.
Council Chairman Speaks
The Chairman, Ede North Area Council Owode-Ede, Hon Mukhail Uthman Omobolanle, while speaking with VAM News correspondent disclosed that his administration have put several measures in place to address this challenge, and according to him, the efforts are yielding positive results.
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| Hon. Mikhail Uthman; Chairman Ede North Area Council |
He said; "the first thing we did to address this problem when we came in 3 years ago was calling a stakeholders meeting with Market leaders and chiefs to talk to their members and sensitise them on the danger associated with road side trading. And they took our message to their people.
"We also ensured that we created more space to accommodate more traders, all in a bid to take them away from the road side. Likewise, we constructed barricade to signify the limit traders can go in displaying their wares and gave the order that whoever wants to trade should do so behind the barricade. We are also working towards creating a motor park for commercial motorists in order to stop them from converting the main road to a car park". He said.
The council boss also stated that task force team were set up to enforce rules and regulations of market men and women in the LCDA, particularly at Owode-Ede market. He used the medium to appreciate the medium to show his appreciation to the people of Owode-Ede for their support over the last three years, describing them as wonderful people.
On why some traders are not complying with the laid down rules despite the council's numerous intervention, Hon. Bele said that efforts are ongoing to enforce stricter measures that will not cause discomfort to the market men and women will be put in place.
"I am ensuring you that we will not allow the success we have recorded so far to waste away, therefore we will continue to put friendly measures in place to eradicate this menace completely. We have played our roles, we urge them to play their roles too". He said.
The people of the state, particularly market men and women need to realise that road side trading has far reaching implications in terms of accident which in most cases are fatal. It also manifests in indiscrimate occupation of road in defiance of formal planning and land use arrangement, and impediments to free flow of pedestrian and motorised traffic and congested transportation network.
Osun state government should take the bull by the horn by enacting a legislation to check the menace of roadside trading with a stipulated punishment for offenders.
The safety of lives should be placed above any economic gain. Therefore, market leaders are enjoined to mandate their members to stop displaying their wares along the road and move inside the market where buyers will locate them.
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