Vendors to return apec food carts

[george]

Vendors to return Apec food carts

Cost nearly B10m, but seen as inferior

The city's ``Apec food carts'' loaned to street vendors during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit may turn out to be a waste of money. Many vendors have showed no interest in keeping them, saying they are not fit for use.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration spent 9.9 million baht making 669 specially-designed stainless steel carts with tops resembling a Thai-style wooden house, to impress foreign delegates during the meeting. They were delivered to street vendors in Pathumwan, Dusit, Bangkok Yai, Thon Buri, Ratchathewi, Phaya Thai, Klong Toey, Phra Nakhon and Samphanthawong.

The vendors had to return the carts to district authorities after the summit ended on Oct 21. Vendors who want to keep them must pay 500 baht a month to the BMA.

However, many vendors said they no longer wanted to keep the Apec carts as their structure was feeble.

Sawong Srimongkhol, 46, a Klong Toey vendor who sells rice with pork knuckles, said the cart was not designed to take heavy loads and lacked a built-in cabinet for storing cooking utensils.

``My food cart is more practical and convenient than the BMA's cart though it is worn out. We used the city's carts during the Apec summit as they were loaned for free and we wanted to cooperate with the state agency,'' said the vendor, one of many who returned his cart to the BMA.

She and other vendors did not want the Apec carts even if they were given for free.

Vendors in Bangkok Yai have returned 100 carts to the district office.

An egg-noodle vendor said the BMA's cart was neither strong nor practical. The floor of the cart was made from plywood and could not cope with the heat from the stove.

Many vendors agreed that the Apec carts looked beautiful, which was the only good thing about them.

Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej said no vendors would be forced to use them if they did not want to.

The Apec cart project was a BMA beautification campaign. The government gave the city 555 million baht to spruce up the city for the Apec summit.

The BMA had cleared homeless people and stray dogs off city streets and historic places such as Sanam Luang park.

However, shortly after the summit was over, some homeless people returned to Sanam Luang.

Nikhom Waiyaratpanit, director of the BMA's social welfare office, said the city sent 500 homeless people and sex workers working around the historic park to military camps in Chachoengsao and Prachin Buri to get occupational training.

Somphop Chattraporn, director of the BMA's Public Health Veterinary Division, said stray dogs had been rounded up and sterilised. The animals were later released as there was no place to house them.

--Bangkok Post 2003-10-30