Abstract

The coronavirus is affecting almost every part of the world. The impact of the virus has worsened the difficulties already confronting residents of the fast-growing cities of the developing world already suffering from many challenges, such as inadequate housing, growing poverty, poor urban environmental management, and high levels of unemployment and underemployment. As authorities introduced restrictive measures to curb the spread of the virus, the low-income people appear to be affected by the measures more than the high-income groups. One of the interventions municipal and national leaders have introduced are limitations to movements, commonly known as lock downs. Together with these lock downs has been closures of spaces where low-income vendors and other informal traders operate. How are low-income urban residents being affected by these restrictive measures? Using field observations, newspaper reports and interviews with traders as well as key informants the article examines the changing typology of informal trade under the lockdown conditions. A key finding of the study is that under a restricted trading environment, the means for carrying bulky stock and a quick get-away is giving advantage to traders on wheels. Bringing wares to sites and traveling back home now requires own transport. The well-to-do traders are replacing poor vendors.

摘要

冠状病毒几乎影响了世界的每个地方。病毒的影响加剧了发展中世界快速发展城市的居民已经面临的困难，他们已经面临许多挑战，例如住房不足、贫困加剧、城市环境管理不善以及高失业率和就业不足。随着当局采取限制措施来遏制病毒的传播，低收入人群似乎比高收入人群受到的影响更大。市政和国家领导人采取的干预措施之一是限制行动，通常称为封锁。与这些封锁一起，低收入供应商和其他非正规贸易商经营的场所也被关闭。这些限制措施对低收入城市居民有何影响？本文通过实地观察、报纸报道和对交易员以及关键知情人的采访，研究了封锁条件下非正式贸易的变化类型。该研究的一个关键发现是，在有限的交易环境下，携带大量库存和快速离开的手段为轮子交易者提供了优势。将商品带到现场和回家现在需要自己的交通工具。富裕的商人正在取代贫穷的商人。携带大量库存和快速离开的方式为轮子交易商提供了优势。将商品带到现场和回家现在需要自己的交通工具。富裕的商人正在取代贫穷的商人。携带大量库存和快速离开的方式为轮子交易商提供了优势。将商品带到现场和回家现在需要自己的交通工具。富裕的商人正在取代贫穷的商人。