«No protection for honest street vendors»

With the arrival of the first warm weather, illegal street vendors also return to occupy some areas of the city, in particular the seafront and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. But the problem, the experts explain, is not just seasonal, even if it is more evident on sunny days than in the middle of winter. A drama that Anva, the national trade association on public areas, a complaint that has been unsuccessful for some time now. «I am sincerely disheartened – he admits Aniello Ciro Pietrofesa – All our reports have turned into retaliation and threats against myself, without the situation having changed. Among other things, we have repeatedly highlighted that, in addition to the presence of sellers of counterfeit goods, drug dealing has also significantly increased in the area from Piazza della Concordia to the current Piazza Cavour. We always repeat the same things: we need a joint operation. The army has no power in this regard and the traffic police, alone, are unfortunately not in a position to intervene, also because they have been victims of attacks several times. We will write yet another letter to the prefect requesting his intervention, also trusting in the discussions with the municipal administration which seem to have finally been resumed in a fruitful manner.” It also echoes him Pasquale Giglio from Confesercenti: «Every year the picture gets worse. While our regular operators have more and more difficulties in the market areas, illegal workers are rampant. We need a tightening that must involve everyone, otherwise we return to the starting point every time.”

THE KNOTS

Unfortunately, the problems of the markets seem to have worsened in recent times and not only due to the fault of street vendors without permission: «A Pastena, except for the weekend, there are a maximum of fifteen stalls left. The others have left. Towerfrom excellence, has become a receptacle for used goods where you can also buy second-hand washing machines. In Via Piave the covered part works well, thanks to a far-sighted intervention by the Municipality – insists Pietrofesa – For the rest, the paving, outside the tensile structure, is totally ruined and the trees are unsafe, jeopardizing the safety of the visitors of the market. Furthermore, it is necessary to re-evaluate the tax bills that have been received by the operators, who find it impossible to comply with the rules, without considering the verification of the concessions following a census to call for free stalls and redevelop the areas which now appear to be in the total degradation”.

Problems he knows well the municipal councilor for Commerce Dario Loffredo: «We need to resume a dialogue with Anva – he says – The markets are places that are particularly close to my heart, because they represent the beating heart of a city and must be lively meeting places, also encouraged by initiatives and events that can give them new blood. It is necessary to streamline certain bureaucratic procedures and help these structures to emerge from a condition of suffering in which they find themselves. My door is always open and I will meet the Confesercenti operators as soon as possible to study the best intervention strategies together. As for the phenomenon of squatters – continues the councilor – there is no doubt that it is necessary to implement a joint plan that involves Police Headquarters and Prefecture. I’ll talk about it with the branch councilor Claudio Tringali and with the mayor because the municipal police alone cannot stem a phenomenon which unfortunately affects various areas of the city and which strongly penalizes the work of honest workers”.

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