AMMAN - The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) keeps a close eye on hundreds of tents selling fruit and vegetables alongside the capital's streets, to ensure they abide by health and safety regulations, according to a GAM official.
GAM has the right to demolish any tent that does not meet the preset requirements, Izzedine Shammout, director of the inspection department at GAM, said.
Noting that the safety requirements for these temporary businesses are very strict, he explained that the vendor must obtain approval from the owner of the land where the tent is going to be pitched before being granted a licence.
In addition, the display area should not exceed 50 square metres in size and be located a safe distance from the street, according to Shammout.
GAM said it monitors these tents and in case of any violation, a warning is issued.
"The municipality shuts down any tent that receives three tickets," Shammout said.
Every summer the municipality licenses hundreds of tents across the city to meet the increasing demand for honeydew and watermelons, according to the GAM press centre.
Although most of the tents display all kinds of fruit and vegetables, the municipality said they are licensed to sell only melons.
Although the tents are convenient for Amman residents, several citizens interviewed by The Jordan Times over the past few days expressed their dissatisfaction with the prices they charge and the storage conditions.
"Most of them do not use price tags at all," noted Hassan Munir who lives in east Amman.
"While driving on the streets of the capital, I can see the litter discarded by these vendors lying on pavements and in certain areas they throw the garbage behind buildings," the 38-year-old engineer charged.
Tabarbour resident Samar Dajah also complained about the prices, noting that since they are higher than the market and at best the same, there is no reason to have them on the streets.
"We need to make sure that summer fruits are available to consumers at affordable prices and closer locations," the GAM press centre said, reiterating that road safety and public health are priorities for the municipality.
Housewives find the idea practical as long as the tents adhere to the regulations.
"Well if the authorities have full control then it is alright," Maram Zeitoun said, while shopping at one of the tents in west Amman earlier this week.
"Thousands of Jordanian expatriates and Arabs nationals visit Amman during summer, hence the demand for summer fruits rises, so there is a need for these tents to increase the supply and maintain prices at affordable levels," Sameera Jaloudi told The Jordan Times after she loaded her car with fruits from a tent near her house in the Khalda suburb.
"Everything should be fine as long as there is full control over them," the banker added.
© Jordan Times 2011
