Ensuring Legal and Social Protection for Street Vendors: Overcoming Economic, Regulatory, and Institutional Challenges

Abstract

Street vendors are a key component of the informal economy, providing essential products while generating jobs in low-income regions. The study's goal is to examine the challenges that street vendors face while also highlight the wide range of services they offer to the community. The research also tries to analyze the issues that street vendors create to government authorities and the general public. Street vendors use vending systems to distribute their local products, creating jobs not just for themselves but also for the state's low-income people. The study focusses on different markets of Peshawar to interview street venders. The survey covers 100 street venders 20 police officials of 6 different police stations in Peshawar, 4 assistant commissioners, 2 deputy commissioner and 8 traffic police, 10 civil society members and 30 individuals (general public). The area which has more street venders get more importance as compared to other markets. As a result, the research focuses on the Board bazar market, Qessa-khawani bazar, Bacha-Khan Chowk, and Sadar bazaar. The selection of these markets is due to its flourishing informal economy, numerous street markets, and the important role street vendors play in the city's everyday business. As a major urban center, Peshawar provides a good environment for investigating the issues that vendors face, their economic contributions, and the influence of street hawking on government and public spaces. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire from street vendors in different markets across Peshawar. The results of descriptive analysis show that most of the street venders are married and educated (i.e. F.sc) and having their own stall or cart to operate their businesses while offering different products. Furthermore, the study show that 90% street venders lived in rented house. During vending these street venders face several challenges like harassment, bribe or pressure from different government authorities. The main reason for this unfair treatment is encroachment, cited by 61.9% of vendors. while, 9.5% face mistreatment for refusing illegal taxes, another 9.5% for resisting enforcement, and 19% due to other challenges. Similarly, street vender also creates many problems for general public and government authorities. According to the data, 47.6% of respondents say street vendors create challenge, most likely as a result of congestion and interruptions in public places, crowding, traffic congestion, and waste management issues. However, the study highlights that there is no clear rules or regulation or even vender Act for the rights of street vender. Based on survey from different official authorities it confirmed that there is no law for street vender but they follow the direction from high authorities to deal it them. Therefore, based on our findings and observations, the study proposes a comprehensive administrative structure to regulate vending across Pakistan, including legal recognition, vending zones, licensing, and a vending council.