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City cracks down on kiosk problem
By Cai Wenjun, Dong Zhen and Zha Minjie |
June 20, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CITY authorities have been inspecting the city's thousands of government-supported newspaper kiosks in response to complaints they block pavements or sell products such as drinks and lighters without a permit.
"Some district governments are considering setting up indoor newspaper and magazine stalls to take the place of street-side kiosks gradually," said Liu Weiguang, an official from the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.
"Inspection should regulate kiosks' operation while protecting interests of kiosk runners, most of whom are laid-off workers or people with slight disabilities."
The bureau said its Huangpu District branch had received at least three complaints a month about kiosks blocking the pavements before the district began its inspections.
A newspaper kiosk at Shaanxi Road S. visited by Shanghai Daily yesterday was selling soft drinks.
"You can buy a bottle of cold Coca Cola because there is a fridge here in my stall," said the kiosk owner.
Another kiosk on Maoming Road N. occupied almost three-quarters of the pavement.
Local sanitation officials usually give verbal warnings to such kiosk owners, while those with repeated violations would be fined.
The kiosks were once applauded by the public as a solution to the plight of nearly 3,000 middle-aged laid-off workers and those with minor physical disabilities since 1998.
However, Dr Zhang Hui, a member of Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said: "Some newspaper kiosks are obviously located unnecessarily close to each other. At some crossroads, you could easily find two or more kiosks just a few steps apart."
She added: "More alarmingly, some happened to block the view of drivers because of their position."
She said some kiosk operators had also illegally set up a power supply inside the stalls to use electric appliances. Some even rented out the kiosk to migrant people to make extra income from rentals.
Unlicensed publications were being sold at some of the kiosks, she said.
Some kiosk operators also illegally inserted promotion leaflets into newspapers and books.
The city has about 2,000 such kiosks, run by a state-owned management company established in late 1998.
"Some district governments are considering setting up indoor newspaper and magazine stalls to take the place of street-side kiosks gradually," said Liu Weiguang, an official from the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.
"Inspection should regulate kiosks' operation while protecting interests of kiosk runners, most of whom are laid-off workers or people with slight disabilities."
The bureau said its Huangpu District branch had received at least three complaints a month about kiosks blocking the pavements before the district began its inspections.
A newspaper kiosk at Shaanxi Road S. visited by Shanghai Daily yesterday was selling soft drinks.
"You can buy a bottle of cold Coca Cola because there is a fridge here in my stall," said the kiosk owner.
Another kiosk on Maoming Road N. occupied almost three-quarters of the pavement.
Local sanitation officials usually give verbal warnings to such kiosk owners, while those with repeated violations would be fined.
The kiosks were once applauded by the public as a solution to the plight of nearly 3,000 middle-aged laid-off workers and those with minor physical disabilities since 1998.
However, Dr Zhang Hui, a member of Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said: "Some newspaper kiosks are obviously located unnecessarily close to each other. At some crossroads, you could easily find two or more kiosks just a few steps apart."
She added: "More alarmingly, some happened to block the view of drivers because of their position."
She said some kiosk operators had also illegally set up a power supply inside the stalls to use electric appliances. Some even rented out the kiosk to migrant people to make extra income from rentals.
Unlicensed publications were being sold at some of the kiosks, she said.
Some kiosk operators also illegally inserted promotion leaflets into newspapers and books.
The city has about 2,000 such kiosks, run by a state-owned management company established in late 1998.
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