Besides urban redevelopment, Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market also facing pressure consumers and residents in the neighborhood.
THE CHANGING MARKETPLACE
The business of Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market business flourished in the late 1980s and in the early 1990s. But then local supermarkets and Shenzhen become competitors and share the local market. This reduced the profit of Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market. Start from 2005, the Mainland China imported fruit directly from oversea countries and stop using Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market to re-export. Nowadays, there are only 200 shops in Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market and the number of employees decrease from 120 thousands to less than 50 thousands.
traffic problem and noise pollution
Unloading the goods on the road
Besides competitors, citizens living near Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market have some complaints of it. To transport the fruit store, wholesalers need to put them on the road and this may hinder the traffic at that time. Since the major business is run in midnight, the noise would affect the sleep of people living near the market. It is measured that the volume of the noise can be higher than 100 dl, stay under this condition for a long time can result in damage of hearing.
HYGIENe problem
Very close to the residential buildings
Also, wholesalers would throw away the damaged and rotten fruit, they are left on the road and this can induce mosquitoes and flies. This hygienic problem can help to spread Dengue fever and other disease. In 2005, the newspaper The Sun reported the Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market had serious mosquitoes problem. In the report, Yau Ma Tei residents complained that The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department did not provide any help to control the problem. They afraid if the problem becomes more serious, it may affect resident’s health.
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