JMPD vow to impound non-compliant food vendors’ trailers
Rajan Pillay, a Waterfall Heights complex resident, says patrons of the food vendors park illegally and obscure the view of other drivers on the road.
The mushrooming of food trailer vendors in Vorna Valley and other suburbs in Midrand has raised concerns.
Rajan Pillay, a resident of Waterfall Heights on Bekker Road in Vorna Valley claimed the vendors lit fires against the wall of the complex, urinated against it and littered.
“The vendors dump refuse, and cook on the pavement which is not allowed and oily food remains on the ground. There is also the issue of traffic which is a nightmare. Customers park on the side of the road and obstruct the view of traffic,” added Pillay.
Read more: Increase in outdoor advertising trailers in Midrand infringe on city by-laws
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Superintended Xolani Fihla said their by-laws management unit had visited the trading site and found it to be in an unacceptable state.
“The traders involved in the investigation had valid trading permits but failed to maintain a clean and hygienic environment,” he said. The JMPD officers engaged with the traders to address the compliance issues. According to the city’s by-laws, informal traders are required to maintain a certain level of cleanliness and hygiene at their trading sites.
Also read: City digitises informal traders permit application process
“Informal traders who fail to comply with these by-laws may be subject to penalties, including fines, closure of their trading site, seizure of their goods and revocation of their trading permit.”
Assistant director in Region A, Pierre Nel, speaking on behalf of the Environmental Health Department said the Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) for the area does regular inspections of the traders to ensure that they comply with the environmental health by-laws.
“The EHP found one trader who did not adhere to the stipulations on food disposal. The EHP educated the trader about the stipulations and issued a compliance notice,” said Nel.
He said they couldn’t prevent people from trading provided they were not contravening any legislation.
“No legislation currently exists limiting trading by informal traders to a certain number. What is key is education and monitoring to ensure that there is compliance, which Region A does.”
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