A section of Pajulu road walk way in Arua City covered with second hand clothes (File Photo)

URN NEWS

Arua Central Division Council has agreed to offer free stalls and lockups to vendors in a bid to persuade them to voluntarily vacate the streets.

The resolution was approved by councillors during a council setting at the Honorable Opio George Memorial conference centre at the former Arua Hill Division headquarters offices held on Thursday.

Under the initiative, the vendors will be given a six-month grace period to settle in the main market to enable them to raise enough money before they start paying monthly fees for the stalls.

Rashid Onzima, the chairperson of works, environment production and trade explains the presence of vendors on the major streets in the city especially in the afternoon and evening disrupts the road users.

According to Raul Osuga, the Speaker of Arua central division and councillor for Awindiri ward, the priority is for the street vendors to move and occupy the empty stalls at the main market and the memorandum of understanding will be signed after the expiry of the six months grace period.

Rashid Oshino, the Secretary of security in Arua central division believes that the initiative is one of the long-term solutions to end street vending.

Since January 2022, all the major streets in Arua City have been flooded with merchandise after vendors missed the allocation of stalls in the main market. The most affected streets are Arua Avenue Road, Pajulu Road, Pakwach Road, Duka Lane, Idi Amin Road, Lemerijoa Lane, Industrial Lane, and Market Lane among others. 

Currently, at least 782 stalls and lockups at Arua Central Market are empty due to unresolved conflicts. Meanwhile, several stalls on the first floor of the market have also been abandoned by vendors citing a lack of customers.