THE BRONX – There’s a renewed call for reform when it comes to New York City street vendor permits after outrage over a video of an unlicensed Bronx merchant having her crates of produce trashed over the weekend.
Diana Hernandez Cruz, the vendor who had her fruits and vegetables confiscated and tossed, is back in business this week, saying she doesn’t have a choice but to get back out to feed her family, despite still not having a permit.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday vowed to never let it happen again, but advocates say the issues is how hard it can be to obtain the permit in the first place.
The lack of licenses has even led to an underground market where they can go for up to $20,000 each, to rent from longtime permit holders.
Advocacy group the Street Vendor Project has been pushing for more permits and a more equitable system for how vendors obtain those permits.
Deputy Director Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez joined the PIX11 Morning News on Tuesday to talk about the group’s mission and efforts.
Kaufman-Gutierrez said what happened to Diana is completely legal, and that’s why her group is pushing for change.
Plus, she told us about their new GoFundMe campaign launched in support of the Bronx vendor.
