Taking on the vendors, bringing order to chaos

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin is bracing for possibly the hottest political potato since taking office _ the challenge of imposing order on vendors who have ruled the city streets for years. Success in regulating hawkers would likely give a major boost to the Democrat party's standing in the next governor's election. Many city residents are fed up with the chaos on pavements cluttered up by vendors hawking their wares.

Initially, the governor declared on July 1 that he would draw a line in the sand by allowing street vendors to trade only at 683 designated areas in the city with a Monday vending ban imposed to permit a weekly clean-up operation.

Mr Apirak launched the regulation brimming with confidence on the back of massive support in the opinion polls. However, he was immediately met with blistering criticism from disgruntled vendors who gathered together and rallied against the regulation.

The governor backed off to re-assess the situation before deciding the best option was to tell district offices to deal with vending problems in their own areas themselves.

City hall was convinced the problem was manageable. It believed vendors' anger only stemmed from the fact that insufficient trading spaces had been allocated.

A senior official at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said Mr Apirak underestimated just how serious the issue was. He went ahead with his plan without consulting city officials who had the most insight into the long-standing vending dispute.

Mr Apirak tried to pacify the growing backlash by promising a temporary trading reprieve for vendors on the condition they keep pavements clean and there was no more encroachment of public space.

After delegating vendor-regulating responsibilities to his deputies and district offices, Mr Apirak faded into the background. But from time to time, he trumpeted his achievements in imposing the Monday trading ban.

Anant Siripassaraporn, the deputy city clerk, said the vending regulation strategy required enforcement of laws governing public sanitation and cleanliness, not to mention taking into account basic issues, including the right to sell.

The image associated with some city inspectors, or thetsakit, tasked with imposing the regulation, as being extortionists needed to be eradicated, he said. Those inspectors working in offices and on the streets should be rotated.

A BMA source said Mr Apirak must be bold and not cave in to pressure from vendors. Any vacillating would only perpetuate contempt for the law and confuse officials in charge of inspection.

Policy-wise, Mr Apirak had scored a disappointingly low 30-40% on the achievement scale. People were now watching to see how far he would go in keeping vendors in line, or if he would just let his policy wilt in failure.

--Bangkok Post 2005-09-06

Hey, they took on the vendors in Sanam Luang hawking their wares, not it's time to take on the rest of the city!

Policy-wise, Mr Apirak had scored a disappointingly low 30-40% on the achievement scale.

Any specifics on this so-called "achievement scale"??

Wondering what the results would show if it was utilized on a national government scale?