The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement on Friday that three of the four phases of its Iao Hon vendors’ stall optimisation project have been completed.
According to the statement, the project aims to revitalise the Iao Hon vendor area by comprehensively upgrading its stall facilities, enhancing fire safety measures, improving electrical safety, increasing recreational space, and enhancing the business environment.
The project began on September 3 last year.
The statement said that all 29 vendor stalls in the area have meanwhile returned to their original locations The project’s fourth phase primarily involves building a small leisure area, which will not affect the daily operations of the vendors’ area, the statement said.
The Post interviewed several stall owners about the optimisation yesterday.
The owner of a joss paper* stall expressed dissatisfaction with the optimisation project. She said the main issues are the narrow space of her stall, measuring just 2 x 2 x 2.65 metres, which makes it difficult for her to sit down and to display her goods, and the new design’s inability to effectively provide shade or shelter from rain, leading to goods being easily discoloured by exposure to sunshine and getting wet when it rains. She also mentioned that, especially compared to more spacious stalls such as those in the Red Market area, her new stall’s space is too narrow, negatively impacting both operations and customer attraction. Although safety features such as fire sprinklers have been added, the overall practicality of the stall remains inadequate, she said.
Another joss paper stall owner complained that her new stall space has become narrower after relocation, which has negatively impacted her business and the display of her goods. Although safety features such as fire sprinklers have been added and the stall appears somewhat “fresher” in design, the most critical issue is the severe lack of effective sun and rain protection, she said.
She said that installing a larger, more effective awning was currently the most urgent need to cope with the upcoming rainy season and typhoons.
Choi, who owns a nearby stall still being prepared for reopening, interrupted his work to talk to the Post about several unmet basic needs to improve the new stall arrangements.
Choi said that the most pressing issue is the vulnerability of goods being drenched by rain, leading to potential commercial losses. He also strongly called for the addition of a public toilet, as stall operators currently must endure long hours without any such facilities nearby and walk to “far-away” locations to access a toilet.
Furthermore, Choi requested the installation of a water tap in the area to facilitate water access, eliminating the inconvenience of frequently returning home to get water.
*Joss paper is a type of paper used in Chinese and other Asian cultures, typically burned as an offering to deities or deceased ancestors in various rituals. Joss paper is often made to resemble money or other valuable items and is used in religious practices to symbolise respect and remembrance. – Poe
Pedestrians walk past vendor stalls, which are in the final phase of an optimisation project by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), in Iao Hon district yesterday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
