AN operation carried out by the chengguan, or urban management officers, targeted vendors who sell street food and snacks near schools Wednesday across the city, the Shenzhen Evening News reported.

    Forces raided 616 street stalls and found other illegal businesses near the schools. Strict measures will continue to be taken around Shenzhen to regulate the school areas from being jammed with street stalls and vendors.

    According to law enforcement officers involved in the operation, the noon breaks and the after-school periods were the peak hours when vendors gathered in front of school gates to sell street food to students.

    At around 11 a.m. Wednesday, law enforcement officers from Xin’an Subdistrict Office of Bao’an District arrived at the gate of Anle Primary School to drive the vendors out of the school area. The officers detained three tricycles and fined other vendors.

    Most of the street food sold by the vendors was freshly made on order. There were no labels declaring the manufacturing factory or production permits on the packages of milk tea sold by some vendors.

    Also, the pavements outside of the schools were occupied by the stalls, forcing students to walk in vehicle lanes.

    A student surnamed Zhong attends Anle Primary School. He said he liked to buy food at the stalls because many of his fellow students like eating the street food for low prices. But the law enforcement officers said that the snacks and food sold at the stalls could cause food poisoning and diarrhea.

    The food sold at the stalls was regarded as unsafe for the students and the stalls damaged the urban environment because the vendors litter, according to the report.

    Also, it is difficult for parents to hold the mobile vendors responsible if their children get food poisoning.

    Lin Zhuo, a law enforcement officer from the subdistrict, said they had strengthened the supervision force around schools, especially at the hours when students go to schools and finish class.

    “It is extremely challenging to regulate the mobile street vendors as they sneak back to the school areas soon after the officers leave,” said Lin.

    In a bid to strengthen food safety around schools, the Municipal Urban Management Bureau has officially released documents to prohibit food selling within 100 meters around the schools in Shenzhen.

    Violators of the regulation will face strict punishment and fines, said the bureau.

    (Zhang Qian)