Council must strike on touts

TOUTS or street hawkers are driving customers away from the Cairns CBD and the regional council must crack down on the practice which is ruining the ambience of what should be a happy and relaxing environment. Touts are not friendly. They are pushy, rude and overbearing. They are in the face of visitors and tourists who want to be able to wander freely and without harassment.

The recently completed Shields St mall is where the touts, mainly backpackers, try to flog tours from the various outlets.

Their activities are off-putting, people avoid them and, in doing so, are not window shopping or wandering into the other businesses trying to make an honest living.

Anita Gardiner of InTime is livid. “The council should stand up to these businesses who are gradually turning our mall into a ghost mall and giving visitors a bad experience,” she said.

There are council laws against touting.

“Touting is not allowed on council land,” says the council website. It is defined as: “publicising a business, commercial, trade or activity to another person, either verbally or with a publication.”

Touting is banned from footpaths, roadways and carparking areas, public seating areas, transport waiting and drop-off points and areas such as the Esplanade and the botanic gardens.

There are fines of $569. So why isn’t the council enforcing the law?

The council is quick to fine parking offenders and has reaped the benefits.

A few fines will soon put a stop to touting and give the CBD back to those retailers and customers who have had a gutful.

Nick Dalton Deputy editor