BUYER BEWARE

TORREVIEJA Council has launched a campaign aimed at discouraging the spread of unlicensed street traders, by fining the buyer as well as the seller.

In the summer, the population of Torrevieja multiplies by four, and the council is now striving to ‘not only attack the supply, but also the demand’ for products bought from the top manta (illegal street vendors) on its promenade.

The Spanish term ‘Top Manta’ (literally top blanket) refers to unauthorised street vendors who lay out their wares on top of a blanket which is laid out on the pavement. The unlicensed traders are renowned for selling goods with fake labels or pirated products, the sheet or blanket also serves as a useful addition to bundle everything up and run for it when the police arrive.

The council has now started a campaign to inform people about the introduction of fines of €200 for those who purchase goods from these illegal sellers. The fine is part a local law amendment and is described as ‘one more step that we

See our advert on page 19 have been taking in the fight against the top manta,’ according to Federico Alarcón, councillor for Security.

He explains that the authorities used to focus solely on the sellers, with the Local Police or Guardia Civil seizing counterfeit items and maintaining a police presence to deter the practice. But now, in Torrevieja, where the population soars in the summer months, the city council has deemed it vital to ‘not only attack the supply, but also the demand’. As a result, an ordinance has been approved that penalises anyone buying goods from the top manta. “Part of the task is to be able to inform the citizen, and particularly the tourist, who may not be aware,” he adds.

The council’s strategy is being broadly publicised through adverts on social media, LED screen advertising, and it can also be found in local shops.

Significantly, the information is being made available in both Spanish and English to cater to both domestic and international audiences, as many buyers are resident tourists.