Cape Town - There has been mixed reactions to the City’s plans to formalise the mobile trading space have been shared, with some welcoming the proposed moves, while others fear exclusion.
The public has until June 15 to comment on the City’s 69 proposed mobile business trading areas in Cape Town.
Mobile businesses include food trucks and services offered from trailers.
The proposals concern the number of bays available per site, the locations and the general terms and conditions when operating.
Muammer Kasu from Rack 'n Grill food truck, who operates at the Food Truck Valley in Goodwood, is also a member of the Food Truck Association.
He said: “This is something we’ve been wanting for a long time because mobile food has been sitting (between) a rock and hard place, it’s not a formal store, not informal. For them offering us spots to trade is great. When we started we mostly traded in residential areas, or commercial properties, but we always picked up issues with neighbours and parking. If they can give us demarcated areas and ample parking for clients, it’s great for food trucks and job creation. Last September, we started Food Truck Valley at the N1 Value Centre parking lot in Goodwood.
There are a variety of 15 trucks there every weekend, each with about three-to-four staff members, that’s 80 families being fed. This is great encouragement for others to start.”
Thando Mavumengwana who operates Estratweni in Phillippi said he was still recovering from the negative impacts of Covid-19, but hoped that as he expanded, there would not be much red tape.
“For me, I would hope the experience will be easy and lenient, when you start out you don't even know what you need to be prepared for. When it comes to paperwork, it can be intimidating,” he said.
South African Informal Traders’ Alliance president, Rosheda Muller, emphasised the importance of inclusion in all processes.
“One needs to look at survivalist traders who will not have capacity to do mobile. (We) hope it will not only be for the haves, but also for people that really need empowerment. We are trying to get inclusivity. It is important it happens in consultation with the association,” she said.
The draft can be viewed at www. capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay Comments can be made by emailing Mobile.BusinessPolicy@ capetown.gov.za
Cape Times