What is it about?
Street vending (selling of goods and services on the street) takes place in many urban centres. It offers some benefits to the people involved in it. In particular, it provides a source of income and employment for many people in the global south. I have shown for the first time, using data from Lagos, Nigeria, that beyond the benefits to sellers/suppliers, street vending exist because there are buyers of street vended goods and services. I reported four explanations for this: financial gains, the formal economy failures, social/redistributive motive and multifeature explanations. Also, I have shown that individual's marital status, level of education and perception provide further explanation.
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Why is it important?
The findings from the article highlight the need for policy makers/urban planners to employ pragmatic policies in tackling street vending. Thus, it calls for a radical change in the current practice, in many countries, of criminalising those buying and selling street vended products
Perspectives
I hope the article stimulates a much needed debate about how buyers and sellers of street vended goods and services are treated. Further, I hope it leads to the implementation of a more inclusive policy for street vending and those involved in it. Finally, I hope you find the article thought-provoking.
Dr Eghosa Igudia
University of Northampton
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring the theories, determinants and policy options of street vending: A demand-side approach, Urban Studies, May 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0042098019835736.
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