It's time to legalize roadside stalls to create jobs and return a public convenience, says an article on the website of Xinhua News Agency. Following is an excerpt:
Calls for bans on roadside stalls to be lifted have once again swept across the country amid a flagging economy and rising joblessness.
Roadside stalls were born after reform and opening up began three decades ago and were quite popular for a long time. But then came bans in big and small cities based on the claim they were inhibiting the development of urban areas.
Local governments have blamed these moveable roadside stalls for either causing hygiene problems or interrupting traffic flows, or even tarnishing the image of the city.
Whenever a city welcomes a festival, roadside stalls have harangued by local city management officers. Many operators have been driven by officers hither and thither, living life in fear.
However, the public knows these roadside stalls don't affect urban development.
People have never doubted how these stalls make their lives more convenient.
During this year's annual top political meetings, some delegates advised the government to partly legalize roadside stalls, a proposal quickly welcomed by the public.
During this financial crisis, roadside stalls may create jobs for jobless migrant workers and college graduates.
Lifting the ban may give millions of people an opportunity to make a living without placing extra pressure on local governments.
(China Daily April 9, 2009)