Almuñécar has received the initial approval of its new bylaw concerning street markets and hawking. The one it will supersede dates back to 1994.
The old law has to be changed to bring it into line with the regional laws governing these activities.
One of the novelties is the large increase in fines for breaking the law, which can reach 18,000 euros.
Now, just to annoy Dave Darby, I shall point out that the reason for this odd figure – why not a nice round 20,000 for instance – is because it is the exact equivalent of 3-million pesetas. God knows why we’re still working in disguised pesetas. …And God knows why I’m still banging on about it.
But on with the article… another new item included is the total prohibition against selling fresh products within the street markets (Fridays and Sundays).
Fines are divided into three groups: leves (minor) which can go up to 1,500 euros; graves (serious) ones that range from 1,500 euros to 3,000 euros and finally, muy graves (very serious) which range between 3,000 and 18,000 euros.
Leves: not displaying the stand number; not having a complaints form for customers; no having bills of purchase for the products on display.
Graves: selling unauthorised goods or committing the same ‘leve’ offence a second time.
Muy Graves: street hawking without a licence.
As for the sale of products that are not permitted, these include, live animals, fresh food such as meat, fish, fruit & veg. Nuts, however, are permitted.
The bylaw received initial approval but cannot receive final approval until it has been put before the general public to see if there are any objections.
At the moment there are 203 licensed stalls at the Almuñécar Friday/Sunday market and eight in La Herradura, which brings us to street hawking…
Anybody caught hawking on the paseos, streets and squares without a licence will be fined, and heftily so. This comes after numerous complaints from shop owners last summer, who consider that these illegal street vendors are hurting their businesses.
In fact, during June and July the Policía Local sanctioned 83 street hawkers, or top mantas as they are known by the Spaniards. The Councillor for Citizen Safety points out that this figure of 83 sanctions means that there were more than one a day during those two summer months. The majority (61) of these ‘busts’ were on the Paseo de San Cristóbal.
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)