BRONX (PIX11) – Unlicensed street vendors in the Bronx continue to get pushed out by authorities.
The Department of Sanitation took responsibility for the Office of Street Vending Enforcement in March of 2023.
During the first year, summonses in the Bronx increased by 29%, and hundreds have been issued this year.
Walking down Kingsbridge Road by the No. 4 train in The Bronx. Warning signs from the Department of Sanitation and the NYPD are noticeable as the city cracks down on street vendors without a license.
In front of the Kingsbridge Armory, PIX11 News observed very few vendors on Friday evening.
Juan said in Spanish that a massive clean-up occurred just four days ago, but he won’t stop because this is the only way he can provide for his family.
And then there are those, like Rowena West, who has a vendor license and has been on this corner for almost a decade.
“When they started selling around here, they had the COVID, and people didn’t have work. But they still gave them like four years to try and get themselves straightened out,” said West.
Pedro claims the problem continues to be how long and complicated this process is to get a license. He says his makeshift food cart was confiscated five weeks ago, and because he didn’t have the $2,000 to pay to get it back, he made this other one.
According to the Department of Sanitation, they have issued 741 summonses in the Bronx this year to unlicensed street vendors. Eight of them in front of the Kingsbridge Armory
“They should just come up with a way that these people can get their permits easily because a lot of these people are migrants, and they don’t have the help to get the permits,” he said.
On the other hand, most business owners and workers favor these enforcements.
“The people who have a license should stay; otherwise, no,” said Mufeed, who works at a department store.
The maximum number of licenses available for general merchandise citywide is 853.
The Department of Sanitation told PIX11 News it did not create street vending laws or set fines; it just enforced them.
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