Tarmac road investment and road side livelihoods - A case study of street hawkers in Babati and Magugu, Tanzania

Abstract: Many road projects have been done in Tanzania to increase trade and reduce poverty. One of these investments was the upgrading of the Singida–Babati–Minjingu Rd., a distance of 223.5 km, which is now a tarmac road. The section of the road Dareda–Babati–Minjingu, 84.60 km, passes the two places Babati and Magugu (ADF, 2007). There are throughout the country many street hawkers who sell different goods to, among others, bus passengers. Street hawking is a possibility for poor households to get an income without the need of a big capital. There has been conducted many studies about street hawkers and about infrastructure, as well as the two in combination. These studies have focused on the importance of space and not on the changes that a better road might or might not bring on. In this survey the aim is to investigate the consequences of the road-upgrading, experienced by the street hawkers conducting businesses along the newly paved tarmac road. Through an interpreter 60 street hawkers were interviewed, 30 in Babati and 30 in Magugu. The upgrading of the Singida–Babati–Minjingu Rd. has largely increased the number of buses and passengers and it is possible that this is the reason to an experienced increase in customers among the street hawkers in Babati. The street hawkers in Magugu experience a decrease of customers as the buses do not stop there as frequently as before the upgrading, or at least do not stay as long as they used to. In both Babati and Magugu several street hawkers had a number of family members depending on the hawker´s income. This result is consistent with what has been stated in scientific articles. This means the profit from the small enterprise is of great importance for the street hawker´s whole family (ILO et al., 2002). In Babati more of the families are depending of the hawking than they are in Magugu, since many of the respondents at the later location ranked farming as the family’s most important activity.