Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — City Hall continues their battle against illegal street vendors in the center of Playa del Carmen. During a recent meeting, the City Commission for Commerce and Agricultural Development reported on the situation.
According to ninth Councilor María Solís who heads the Commerce and Agricultural Development department, there are currently 2,447 semi-permanent, street and tianguista stalls in Playa del Carmen.
She says the high number of vendors poses a challenge in terms of urban order, use of public space and community coexistence. Solís stressed the need to relocate unregulated merchants, especially in the downtown area and on arteries that interfere with the flow of traffic.
She says their department does not have an exact number of merchants that require relocation, however, they have begun a census in strategic points since street vendors in key areas are considered a “red flag.”
She says a few of the actions being taken to sort out the street vendors include talks between the department and merchants and a permit review during tours to verify legal and illegal vendors.
Solis also says the department is looking into designing specific organized spaces dedicated to merchants where they can operate without interfering with pedestrian or traffic flow.
She says they are also looking into an expansion of commercial spaces by optimizing existing places and evaluating alternatives to possibly expand in permitted areas.
The relocation and regulation of street vendors is a priority issue for authorities, she says, who continue to work to implement solutions that benefit both merchants and the community.
Last month, city officials cleared central streets of dozens of illegal street vendors. More than 60 illegal kiosks were removed by city officials and the vendors fined for operating without a permit. However, Antón Bojórquez, the Secretary of Economic Development, said that once the fine is paid, the city is legally obligated to return their kiosks, which they again, set up in central Playa del Carmen.
