Roadside stalls and vendors
Understand who regulates roadside stalls and vendor operations and why.
Building Tasmania has no authority to issue a permit to sell goods and produce on the State road network.
Permits are issued by the General Manager of the local council, pursuant to section 56C of the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999.
All questions about operating roadside stalls should be referred to the General Manager of the local council.
We do not support roadside stalls on high speed, high volume State roads, on traffic safety grounds.
State roads managed by Building Tasmania are designed to move a lot of traffic as safely and efficiently as possible. Roadside vendors can compromise this important transport task.
Where the council consults Building Tasmania regarding a stall proposing to operate on a state road, we may support the proposal if the roadside stall meets the following criteria:
- In urban areas with wide footpaths
- where the speed limit is less than 70 km/h and the carriageway has wide shoulders
- outside the clear zone of the highway (at least 5m from the edge of seal)
- will not impact on sight lines for vehicles.
We do not support roadside stalls on Limited Access roads.
Local Government Authorities have the power to remove roadside stalls that are not in compliance with planning schemes. Tasmania Police also has the power to remove stallholders operating without a permit.