The busy thoroughfares of the ‘City of the Sun’ have few developed sidewalks. In Andabizy, at the entrance to Toliara, pedestrians generally use strips about one meter wide along the edge of the road.
In Sanfily, near the market, pedestrians struggle to move around. Street vendors, rickshaws, and carts transporting goods occupy part of the space reserved for them. Rickshaws must travel in single file to let cars pass, but often encroach on the pedestrian path, especially near the market where the road narrows. Some also park there.
Near the CEG Centre, on the road leading to the Toliara I and II school district offices, the sidewalks are cluttered with mannequins from second-hand clothing sellers. Pedestrians are thus forced to walk on the road. At Bazar Be, in front of the BOA bank, the situation is similar.
The urban commune of Toliara occasionally conducts operations to remove goods that spill onto the road. However, two days later, the vendors reoccupy the space. Pedestrians, shoppers, and rickshaws then share a narrow passage.
“In my opinion, the situation at the Scama market is the most alarming. I saw a man who was almost crushed by a truck. In the evening, fishmongers occupy the median strip that separates the two lanes of traffic towards Betania and Besasavy. Lacking space to move, pedestrians must walk on the road, in the middle of vehicles. To avoid the truck, this man had to throw himself toward the fish stalls,” says Zitah Onisoa, a mother who fears going to the Scama market.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-01 06:24:11 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/ville-de-toliara-les-marchands-de-rue.html