Architect endorses ban on street trade
YEREVAN, February 23, /ARKA/. Levon Igitian, director general of the National Aesthetics Center, has endorsed today a decision by Yerevan mayor to ban street trade, saying it was inevitable.
He said the law had banned street trade years ago but the previous municipality administrations failed to enforce it. Virtually all previous mayors attempted to ban completely street trade in Yerevan, but with little success.
The new Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetian ordered the ban on street trade shortly after taking office. The ban was enforced immediately by police that cleared sidewalks of people selling a wide range of goods, causing angry protests of street vendors who said they have lost their sole source of income.
In return street vendors were offered to shift to markets. The street trade in Yerevan was banned by a 2004 municipality decision. The traders who will violate it face a penalty between 10,000-20,000 Drams.
Earlier this week an official of the municipality said 3000 retail trade places were available at Yerevan markets and new mini-markets will open soon as well.-0-
