Hasakah’s municipalities remove kiosks, Locals complain
Al-Hasakah – North-Eastern Syria – North-Press Agency
The control committees of the people’s three municipalities, Rashraqa, Gharbiya, and Janoubiya in Hasakah, northeastern Syria issued warnings to the owners of kiosks and violating shops to remove them in a maximum time of 48 hours.
According to municipal officials, the kiosks and shops which were built on the sidewalks, or in some of the city’s other municipal lands, were an uncivilized scene, while local civilians have complained about this issue to the local municipalities.
Locals complain about the uncivilized scene
The Committee of Municipalities and Environment in Hasakah had issued last week, a decision to remove the kiosks and shops, and as it directed an official letter to the three municipalities that the relevant committees should issue warnings to the violators.
Abd-Ghafoor Oso, the co-chair of the municipal and environmental committee in Hasakah told North-Press that “The decision was issued after receiving complaints from the locals about kiosks and other violations,” pointing out their decision was issued upon the locals’ complaints, “It was a non-civilized scene, specifically gathered in places near garbage areas, and this decision will also include owners of electricity generators who have placed them on the sidewalks.”
Hundreds of shops and kiosks in many neighborhoods in the city, such as Salihiya, Tal-Hajar, Nassira, and Mufti have taken the sidewalks by placing their goods and products, which impedes the movement of citizens in many vital places and streets that are usually crowded by people and vehicles, which leads people to walk on the roads.
Solutions and Alternatives
Regarding the issue of the impact on local citizens and their livelihood, Mr. Oso pointed out that they are “Securing some areas within the city, and in some neighborhoods in order to allow those who been affected by the decision, to place their kiosks in areas that don’t obstruct the movement of traffic and people, majority of the concerned kiosks owners are of low income and middle class.”
Abdurahman Ibrahim, 54 years old, a local resident of the city, referred that “The industrialists in the city are forced to occupy the sidewalks to carry out their work, due to the small industrial area in the city, thus the expansion spreads in other different neighborhoods, while it became easier for pedestrians and traffic after the removal of kiosks, sidewalks shouldn’t be occupied by shop owners to display their products and goods.”
Unfair Decisions
While many of the city’s locals described the decisions as unfair, and it caused a stoppage of livelihoods of many residents of the city.
Azdisher Fatemi, a local resident indicates that “Removal of kiosks in the city is a mistake and causes stoppage to many civilian’s livelihoods.”