Capital's coffee vendors protest against new municipality regulations

AMMAN — Coffee vendors are crying foul over new regulations issued by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) for those who want to renew their licences or apply for one.

The municipality recently said it will not renew the licences of cafeteria owners who sell coffee on the street and will further tighten control over these vendors to make sure that they do not violate the regulations, according to a GAM statement made available to The Jordan Times. 

Mervat Mheirat, director of GAM’s health supervision department, told The Jordan Times over the phone that the measure is designed to ensure traffic safety and public health. 

But the new rule prohibiting vendors from handing coffee to motorists on main streets is causing major grievances for employees and business owners

Baker Slaha, 25, said he could lose his job.

"After I graduated from university, I couldn't find a decent job, so I decided to join one of these places that sell coffee to earn my pocket money," he told The Jordan Times. 

More than 150 coffee stall owners and their employees have been staging daily demonstrations outside the municipality's headquarters in Ras Al Ain since Tuesday, urging GAM not to enforce the regulations.

Abu Ismael, the president of a committee representing the protesters, said the owners of coffee shops selling hot drinks to motorists and passers-by have been experiencing the same problems for the past 10 years.  

"Every year, when I go to renew my permit, it is the same story. This morning, GAM closed down one of my shops in Amman, claiming that my employees delivered coffee to a motorist," the owner of the "Captain" chain of coffee outlets, told The Jordan Times during the demonstration. 

Farouq Rizeq, who has been working at one of Abu Ismael's shops since 2000, claimed that the decision to prohibit vendors from serving coffee to drivers will result in severe traffic jams.

"When a motorist parks his car and goes to get his coffee, it will take him at least three minutes. Imagine the number of cars that will be parked outside the shop," he noted as he prepared a cup of coffee for a customer. 

It takes only seconds for an employee to deliver the coffee to a motorist, Rizeq added.

Mutaz Silaa, who owns a coffee shop, said he will be forced to lay off 40 employees because of the regulations. 

"Many people make a living out of this business. Imagine the number of families that will be negatively affected after these regulations are enforced," he said, noting that there are around 2,150 coffee outlets in the capital.

Wael Qas, who owns six coffee shops in Amman, described some of the regulations as "harsh" and "unfair". 

"If a shop is registered as a cafeteria instead of a coffee shop, its owners are not allowed to sell coffee or tea with the snacks. Most of our customers like to have a hot drink with their sandwich," he said during the demonstration.

The majority of the outlets, he added, are registered as cafeterias. 

Abdul Aljawad Ghanem, an employee at a coffee shop in the capital, said the middle class will be affected if many outlets close down. 

"A cup of coffee costs JD0.25. If customers are forced to go to Amman's cafés, it will cost them up to JD4 for a cup," he pointed out. 

Amer Al Qaisi, another coffee shop owner, said the protesters do not oppose all the regulations. 

"I do support GAM when they prohibit people from installing flashing lights that might affect traffic," he added. 

Commenting on GAM's decision to prohibit vendors from delivering coffee to motorists, Khaled Thawabi, a taxi driver, said the municipality can set rules that please all parties. 

"They can ask vendors not to stand in the middle of the road and allow them to deliver the coffee when the client stops near the shop. They can also define a specific age for sellers to avoid child labour," Thawabi added.

He said it would be difficult for him to park and get a coffee while on the job. 

"The passenger will not agree to wait for me to get out of the cab and get a coffee, and it is not always easy to find a legal parking space near these outlets," he noted. 

Abu Ahmad Sultan warned that if GAM goes ahead with its decision, the protesters will take escalatory measures.