How is trade regulated in underpasses?

It has long been customary for Muscovites and visitors to the capital that many underpasses, especially those leading to metro stations, are filled with outlets. In these stalls, stalls they sell pastries and drinks, cigarettes, newspapers and magazines, flowers, clothes and shoes. Often there are sellers of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Trade in underpasses is regulated by the provisions of the Law of the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights" of 01/01/96 and the rules for the sale of certain types of goods, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation of 01/19/98, as amended on 10/20/98, 10/02/99, 02/06/02, 12/07.03 and 01.02.05. In order to obtain permission to trade, the owner of the outlet must conclude a lease agreement and coordinate sanitary and fire safety measures with authorized bodies, that is, it is necessary to obtain licenses and certificates.

From the moment underground trade emerged until today, disputes have not abated: what is more of this phenomenon, good or harm? On the one hand, underground trade employs tens of thousands of Muscovites and residents of the nearest Moscow region, and many passengers on the Moscow metro use its services. And these passengers, by the way, are about 9 million people a day! In addition, rent for these outlets replenishes the city budget. On the other hand, trade in counterfeit, and often frankly substandard products flourishes there. Kiosks installed along the walls of the underground passages significantly narrow them, which causes inconvenience to passengers, especially at rush hour.

Especially much criticism of the underground trade was expressed after the terrorist act committed in 2000, in the passage under Pushkinskaya Square. The fact is that most of the victims were injured not from the blast wave itself, but from glass fragments of shopping stalls and pavilions knocked out by it! The Moscow City Hall then received a large number of complaints, demands to ban underground trade altogether. But the city leadership took a different path: ordinary glass shop windows were replaced with special shock-resistant, made in the anti-vandal version. Video cameras were installed, security of transitions was strengthened.

Currently, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin is pursuing a policy of gradually reducing the number of underground outlets. Out of 5300 such places installed in the territories belonging to the Moscow Metro, it is planned to reduce about 700, instead of which vending machines will be installed. This measure is caused by the numerous complaints of Muscovites and guests of the capital, not the lack of such machines, which creates queues at ticket offices at metro stations. In addition to this, about 90 more retail outlets will be removed from the crossings belonging to BSU Gormost.

S. Sobyanin, pointing out that a lot of work has been done recently to improve underground passages, at the same time demanded that his subordinates step up the fight against trade in counterfeit products and find out why BSU “Gormost” rents out tenants retail space at prices several times higher below market average. According to the mayor, this means that the margin just falls into the hands of all crooks.