(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- Muscat Municipality has been undertaking intensive efforts to organise local markets and regulate illegal street vending near public squares and neighbourhoods. It has also increased inspections on shops and factories. The municipal laws emphasise the importance public health and have been conducting regular inspections to nab violators.

Khalid al Rahbi, director of urban inspection department of Muscat Municipality in Bausher, said that the municipality has been entitled to find a suitable mechanism that would regulate markets and supervise them on a regular basis. The inspection departments therefore make periodic visits to all stations to monitor that the health standards are adhered to and that unlicensed activities are not practised.

Despite inspections mobile vendors still exist. Usually, food offered by mobile vendors is not safe for human consumption as it is normally exposed to direct sunlight, dust and carbon emissions from vehicles. Vendors do not comply to health requirements when dealing with food, said Rahbi.

Rahbi added, 'Since, the phenomenon of mobile vending has spread noticeably in Muscat governorate, it was necessary for the municipality to regulate such activities in collaboration with other competent bodies like the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Joint meetings have been conducted to discuss this practice and to find appropriate sites and approvals for mobile vendors to operate. Specifications of such work and necessary requirements for the cart or vehicles to be used have been made.'

MENAFN2106201801410000ID1097048291