By Baba Sillah
Following a demolition order by the Department of Physical Planning against illegal vending shops and stalls on the Senegambia highway, there have been renewed calls by the affected parties for the decision to be rescinded.
Last week Physical Planning wrote to the many vendors on the Highway to remove their structures, which they said were not legally constructed and therefore not considered safe.
Speaking to The Standard, Jerreh Chatty and Momodou Lamin Jobarteh, roadside vendors along the highway said any decision to remove their shops will amount to discouraging the youths from contributing to national development.
According to them, it is both the Gambia Tourism Board and the Department of Physical Planning who are behind the order.
“We are appealing to the authorities to rescind their decision or allocate us a place until we have a permanent place where we can do our business,” Momodou appealed.
He said the shops provide them with employment from which they feed and support their families and any attempt to remove them will harm their livelihood.
Deportation
On the much talked-about alleged deportation agreement between the Government of The Gambia and EU member countries especially Germany, the youths opined that the government should not sign such an agreement as that will only create more problem for the government since there is no job opportunity for them in the country.
