Hazards of street trading

It’s a known fact that man needs to engage in one job or the other to earn him or herself a living in life. However, people engage in various jobs today without putting the hazards of the chosen jobs or trades into consideration; one of such is street trading.

Street trading is an unlawful transaction that takes place between two parties or more in unsafe and unhealthy environment. It involves buying and selling of goods in both local roads and high ways by both the young and adults with so much concern on profit making, regular turn over and relevance among peers especially at social functions without concern about injuries or sudden death associated with the act.

Researchers have been shown that many people go into street trading due to lack of capital to run the business of their choice effectively. Also, exorbitant price placed on shops by shop owners especially in strategic places across cities and towns contribute to it.

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Consequently, many people have little or no time to walk into malls or shops to get goods of choice but choose to patronise street traders and encourage the bad act. This act in most cases left such people with no choice than to buy fake products at high rate.

The Oyo state government should be lauded for building shops and neighbourhood markets with a view to creating conducive business environments for citizens. I’m of the opinion that it is essential for government at all levels to intensify efforts in the area of enlightenment, which could be done by engaging relevant stakeholders on the need for them to quit street trading. It is also, imperative for street traders in our society to have a change of mind and do their businesses in accordance with environmental regulation laws of the land to prevent unforeseen circumstances.

Damola Adegoke,

Ibadan.