It was in an atmosphere of spontaneity, doubts, bitterness and disenchantment that the former street vendors of Achouhada Boulevard in Hay Mohammadi met on October 17th at the youth space at the "Al Assil" residence in the same neighbourhood. Men and women, young and old, met to discuss their current situation and their future after the ban on their informal activity. Sad, lost and haggard faces marked by the vagaries of life furnished the meeting room while waiting for a solution capable of saving their livelihood. Other cunning, stubborn faces with a quick and exuberant look were watching for the ideal offer to compensate them. "We were summoned by merchants who shared the same stretch of boulevard as us, but we don't know what they are going to propose," says an accessories seller who has been working in the informal trade for several years with three other members of her family.

After the launch of this exchange workshop, the famous solution was finally proposed by young associative members from Hay Mohammadi in collaboration with local authorities. It is an association grouping all the street vendors of Achouhada Boulevard. This group will be called "Spirit of Initiative". "This meeting is in fact the constituent general assembly of the new association which will help us to discuss with the local authorities and propose appropriate solutions for everyone," explains Khalid Bafas, elected president of the "Spirit of Initiative" association at the end of the meeting. "The majority of the banned merchants are elderly people. We don't want to occupy public space, but we can no longer practice another trade or do training in another field. Our state of health does not even allow us to work as a cleaning lady," laments Ezzohra, aged 57.

Her friend and companion in the informal trade for years, Zohra Limam, also affirms that the decision to ban fell like a guillotine: "I have already worked in several markets in Hay Mohammadi, but I have never been offered a solution. They were content to expel me." According to Khalid Bafas, the new association would be a force of proposal to help the expelled merchants to integrate into the world of work, but also to participate in the development of the city. Indeed, according to an official source, "Spirit of Initiative" would be a means of discussing with street vendors in order to settle them: "We have a working session today with the owners of the stalls to propose several types of income-generating activities within the framework of the INDH." According to this representative of the local authorities, three-wheelers and small vans will be distributed to former street vendors, particularly those who managed stalls for vegetables, fruits, food products, etc.

The latter could be organised within the framework of mobile markets as is the case in several European countries. They will no longer be able to choose a single location in order to avoid the creation of new black spots.

Other former owners of "ferracha" would receive a capital of 15,000 dirhams that they could develop to launch a legal business. In addition, the sellers of sandwiches and cooked dishes, about thirty, would be equipped with motorcycles equipped with isothermal cabins. They will be placed in fixed points from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Regarding women, local authorities propose to integrate them into cooperatives. In total, between 200 to 250 merchants, including 150 women, will be reintegrated into the world of work legally. "We want to develop in these people the spirit of initiative, encourage them to create their businesses and to work with dignity," explains an agent of the local authority.

Nevertheless, this professional reintegration plan will only concern merchants residing in Hay Mohammadi. "The INDH projects of the Ain Sebaâ-Hay Mohammadi prefecture cannot include people falling under other prefectures," explains a well-informed source. In fact, we are going to establish a list of these vendors with files of their projects in order to present them to the competent authorities," explains the same source. And to add that 70% of street vendors operating in Hay Mohammadi come from other prefectures. For this representative of the local authority, the new solutions proposed are capable of putting an end to the phenomenon of street vendors and illicit trade practiced for years in this mythical neighbourhood of the metropolis.

Illicit practices laid bare

Achouhada Boulevard represented a black spot for local authorities because of informal trade, but also because of the illicit practices that were carried out there. According to a well-informed source, some people sold or rented stall locations. This hinders the census of street vendors. In addition, other people employ third parties to develop their capital in illicit trade. Furthermore, the ban on "ferracha" has laid bare illicit practices such as the consumption of drugs and alcohol on the boulevard.