ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a general description of informal trading in the seven cities, with regard to its extent, its degree of formality, location, and the degree of specialization within markets. In most other cities greater attempts have been made by the authorities to formalize street trading, either by designating areas from which it can operate or by providing infrastructure in the form of shelter, surfaces, taps, bins, toilets, and so on. In most cases, selling in the central business district of the city is severely restricted and attempts are made, instead, to define a limited number of zones or street where hawkers are allowed to operate. All the cities have some system of enforcement and inspection: in most cases, this lies in the hands of the traffic police and health inspectors. Generally, traffic police or municipal police are responsible for enforcing both licence and locational regulations outside built markets.
