GEORGE TOWN, June 24 — Some 1,259 hawkers located near morning markets and market complexes have experienced a drastic drop in business of about 50 per cent due to the shortened opening hours.
However, due to the lockdown standard operating procedures that only allow all eateries and restaurants, including hawkers, to operate from 8am onwards, many of the hawkers had to comply and open two hours later than the markets. “Now, many of our members are only getting about 200 to 300 customers per day because they can only open after 8am,” he said.
Local Government, Housing and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the city council has written to the National Security Council on June 3 to apply for hawkers at market complexes and market sites to open at the same time as the markets, at 6am. He said some of the hawkers are located within the market complexes so it does not make sense that the market traders can open at 6am while the hawkers can only open at 8am.