Unionist legislators and academics have urged the government to allow hawkers to trade at empty stalls in wet markets and on abandoned government land.
The call came after 65-year-old hawker Lo Kong-ching drowned last Monday when he jumped into a river in Tin Shui Wai while fleeing a raid by hawker control officers.
Wong Hung, assistant professor of social work at Chinese University, and unionist lawmaker Chan Yuen-han said yesterday that such an arrangement would help to reduce poverty.
'Many people are still unemployed and they do not want live on the government dole,' Professor Wong said. 'Why can't the government give them a chance to make their own living by being hawkers?'
Unionist lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing cited empty stalls at Java Road Wet Market in North Point and government land near the North Point ferry pier as examples of suitable trading venues.
'Those stalls have been empty for seven to eight years. The government should rent out those stalls to hawkers at discounted rates so that they can do business there,' he said.
