SOME vendors in Cogon market in Cagayan de Oro City are crying foul, decrying the supposed unfair treatment' by the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) after the agency prohibited them from selling at the sidewalk while allowing vendors in Carmen and Puerto markets to sell in the sidewalks.
Fruit vendor Elma Inoso said they are wondering why Carmen and Puerto vendors were allowed to build makeshift tents and display their products on the streets, when the RTA earlier warned that they are not allowed to do this.
Inoso added the RTA should not bar them from displaying their products in the streets, especially this holiday season, where she said, is their only chance of having brisk sales.
"Kanang kariton lang dapat kuhaon, dapat kaming mga tigulang nga naa lang sa daplin pasagdan lang nila (They should get the carts only, we the the elderly should be let on the sidewalks)," Inoso said.
Inoso appealed to the city mayor to let them sell in the sidewalks as they are not obstructing the by passers.
"Ang ako lang hangyo kang Egay ihatag na niya ang panugot nga makapaninda mi sa mga umaabot nga adlaw, ang magpatunga lang unta maoy dakpon, kay kami nga naa lang sa kilid dili man mi maka-disturbo sa mga tao, dili kay ila ming birahon bisan naa lang mi sa daplin, unfair kaayo, ang Carmen ug Puerto libre ang balay-balay sa kadalanan, pero diri dili gyud mi tugtan (My appeal to Egay is to let us sell in the sidewalks as we are not disturbing the by passers, not that they will move us, it's unfair, vendors from Carmen and Puerto are free houses in the streets, but here were not allowed)," she said.
"Kung naa silay kasing-kasing ilang ihatag ang panugot (If they have a heart, they will let us)," Inoso added.
Alvin Barioso, also a vendor of hornpipes that are the bestsellers for New Year’s Eve, said they have permits to prove that they legally sell their products but are still barred from displaying their items on the streets.
He said they are however allowed near the Ororama area but during night time, when the mall closes, they cannot sell.
"Ang amo lang hangyo nga fair treatment lang unta, 12 years naman mi diri namaligya, naa man mi permit. Mag unsa man mi sa ororama magdisplay unya wala may tao diha kinsa may mamalit," he said.
"Ang Carmen gutigotan man, apil unta ang tanan, aron pud naa mi ipangpalit ug bugas," he added.
But RTA overseer lawyer Edgardo 'Egay' Uy said as far as the RTA is concerned, they have not allowed vendors in any of the markets in the city to sell in the streets.
Earlier this month, the RTA has informed City Mayor Oscar Moreno they won't allow vendors displaying goods in the vicinity of the markets, citing two reasons.
First, it noted that the 'heavy traffic congestion has been experienced already almost anywhere in the city streets and highways and is expected to worsen with the yuletide season'.
It also cited that 'the sidewalk should be used for the passing pedestrians, while the streets, for the motorists'.
The RTA also pointed out that it will exercise and impose its full force of power and authority if the affected vendors would not obey and follow the said recommendation.
"As far as the RTA is concerned, tanan man nga mga vendors sa tanang merkado sa syudad wala gitugotan nga mamaligya sa market this holidays (all vendors in the city's markets were not allowed to sell within tthe market this holidays)," Uy said.
Uy asks the vendors to obey the order, especially at this time.
"Ang amo lang man pud hangyo nga dili lang sila motinda diha pag buntag, pwede naman sila gabii na kanang walay mangagi, basta lang dili sila mahimong obstruction sa mga tawo ug labina sa mga sakyanan nga maoy hinungdan sa traffic (We appeal to the vendors to not sell on morning, but they can on evening as long as they will not be an obstruction to the by passers especially to the vehicles that can be the cause of traffic)," he added.