1,400 food outlets, street vendors fined

Addressing a Press conference, Jaafar Ali Jaafar, Head of Market Control Section at the Sharjah Municipality, said: “We want to remove street vendors from the sidewalks because they are not only obstructing the path for pedestrians but also are distorting the image of the emirate.” Jaafar explained that even though there were some offenders who were able to obtain municipality permit, they were fined because their permits were expired.

“Some of the shops were selling either prohibited items or ones that went against the norms and rules of the emirate,” he said, pointing out that some of the violations included displaying photographs of inappropriately dressed models and scantily dressed mannequins. He noted that the establishments found violating the rules for the first time were issued a warning. One of the other main violations included motorists who tried to sell their vehicles by parking it on the roadside. “It is not allowed to put a poster on your vehicle saying that it is for sale, and then park it in a way that blocks the road,” he said. Jaafar pointed out that inspection campaigns are carried out throughout the year in order to prevent illegal residents and those who sell pirated goods and other items that are harmful to the public’s health.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com