Latest news with #RegulationofStreetVending
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Hawkers question eviction, blame vehicles for traffic mess at Sitabuldi
Nagpur: Street vendors blamed the rising number of vehicles, not hawkers, for traffic congestion on Sitabuldi main road — from Variety Square to Lohapul — and termed their eviction by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and city police unjust. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Abdul Razzaq Quereshi, president of the Nagpur Feriwala Association and a Town Vending Committee (TVC) member, called the recent eviction drive "pre-planned and illegal," claiming the vendors were displaced just a day after the High Court was closed for summer holidays. "It was a calculated move. Authorities knew they wouldn't get away with this if the court was in session," Quereshi told reporters. The displaced hawkers have since been shifted to Maharajbagh road. Quereshi alleged that the eviction violates the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, as the TVC neither passed a resolution nor consulted hawkers. "We were kept in the dark. There was no meeting, no notice, no legal process," he said. The NMC, however, claimed that the TVC had approved the relocation earlier, which Quereshi and others reportedly boycotted. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo This dispute has further deepened the mistrust between hawkers and the administration. The hawkers are planning to move the High Court on June 9. "If we don't get relief, we will go to the Supreme Court. This is not just about business — it's about our fundamental right to livelihood," Quereshi said, adding that citywide peaceful protests will continue in the meantime. He also said the relocation to Maharajbagh road was never discussed in earlier 12 TVC meetings. "Why now? What is the hidden agenda?" he asked. "The govt is prioritizing parking zones over people's livelihoods. You are clearing space for cars while pushing working-class youth into joblessness. This kind of injustice can only destabilize the city's law and order in the long run," he warned.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Hawkers rule Aminjikarai-Koyambedu stretch; nightmare for pedestrians
Chennai: The 3.7-km stretch between Aminjikarai and Koyambedu, one of the city's busiest roads, has become a nightmare for pedestrians. Though Greater Chennai Corporation has designated separate vending and non-vending zones across the city, more than 700 hawkers have taken over the pavements, making it nearly impossible for pedestrians to walk safely. This stretch has eight bus stops and witnesses several hundred bus trips daily. It is extremely crowded, especially during peak hours, putting commuters at risk. Aravind Srinivasan, a 30-year-old resident of Anna Nagar, said, "I use public transport every day to get to work, but walking to the bus stops is a challenge. The pavements are either damaged or taken over by stalls. I'm forced to walk on the road, dodging speeding vehicles, including buses that don't use indicators. There's no safe space for pedestrians," he said. The congestion gets worse in the evening. Rajesh Kumar M, a shopkeeper in Aminjikarai, said that after 6pm, traffic becomes chaotic. Two-wheeler riders often violate rules by using pavements to bypass traffic jams. While traffic police try to control the situation, many riders escape, he added. According to GCC data, 338 vending and non-vending zones have been identified in the city. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Médicos alertam: se você tem varizes, faça isso todos os dias Fim das Varizes Undo Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zone has the most non-vending zones (45), while Royapuram zone has the highest number of vending zones (26). This initiative is based on the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which mandates cities to create clear vending plans. The final plan was shaped through multiple consultations and surveys between Sept 2024 and March 2025. R Madhan Kumar, a street vendor, said, "The new vending zones allocated near Perambur and Vyasarpadi are far from our current shops. The spot is not feasible to set up shops and sell. We earn very little from our handcart shops. Until a proper vending zone is allotted, we won't leave this spot," he said. T Geetha of Arumbakkam said, "a few vendors use animals to pull heavily loaded carts in peak traffic. This is not legal. GCC must ensure that violators are fined and measures should be taken to stop animal pulling in the city." When asked for response, GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran said, "Despite allocating vending and non-vending zones, many vendors have not relocated. A drive will soon be launched to move vendors from non-vending to vending zones. "
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Time of India
Vendors are being evicted and harassed, claims forum
New Delhi: National Association of Street Vendors of India on Thursday alleged that street vendors were being "systematically evicted" from various areas across the city. Since April 28, the vendors are facing harassment by the authorities concerned, it claimed at a press association further alleged that even vendors possessing valid vending certificates were being removed. "This has been happening despite the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which establishes the legal framework and protections for street vendors against unlawful evictions and harassment," said the association's national coordinator Arbind Singh."We were hopeful that with the newly elected govt, the situation would improve, but nothing happened," Singh to the association, the street vending act clearly distinguishes street vendors into three categories: stationary, mobile and weekly. However, every street vendor is being treated like a mobile vendor, it alleged. The vendors fear that these ongoing drives would deprive them of getting their names included in the ongoing survey. "These two parallel actions—doing a survey on one hand and removing vendors on the other—are contradictory to each other and can't go together," stated the the conference, Suman Lata, a 55-year-old woman street vendor from Rohini, claimed that she was evicted from the area and constantly being threatened by the local officials. Ajay Poddar, a cloth vendor from Civil Lines, further alleged that his goods were not returned despite several a tea vendor from Shahdara who claimed to be vending since 2008 and holding a valid licence, was "forcefully evicted" last week. "My goods were confiscated and have not been returned yet," he MCD official said that action was being taken against encroachments on roads and public places to avoid inconvenience to others. "There is no specific or targeted drive being carried out by the civic body," he was no reaction from police in this connection.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Thiruvananthapuram corporation proposes 122 new vending zones to regulate street vendors
Thiruvananthapuram: To regulate the growing number of street vendors, city corporation proposed creating designated vending zones at 122 locations. Town vending committee prepared the draft proposal aiming to bring order to street vending activities that have mushroomed, especially after Covid pandemic. The proposed plan divides the city into vending, non-vending and partial vending zones. Some stretches, such as Kowdiar-Vellayambalam road and Vellayambalam-Thycaud Smart Road, will be declared non-vending zones and excluded from the project. This initiative comes more than a decade after the enactment of Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Corporation secretary Jahamgeer S told TOI that the town vending committee recently finalised the draft. "Once the technical committee approves the draft, the proposal will be presented at the council meeting. During council discussions, councillors can also give their feedback. After incorporating all suggestions, a notification will be issued, giving 30 days for further input before moving to the implementation phase," he said. The technical committee includes stakeholders such as police, PWD, KRFB (Kerala Road Fund Board) and TRDCL (Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Co Ltd), and their recommendations will mainly concern the areas to be covered under the vending project, Jahamgeer added. Following the pandemic, there was a surge in the number of vendors, prompting efforts to formalise and support this growing sector. Surveys conducted by the corporation identified around 2,500 street vendors operating in the city. Besides designating vending zones, corporation has supported vendors by facilitating loans under Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Officials said that an increase in unregulated vending contributed to traffic congestion and waste management issues. The new plan is aimed at addressing these challenges by offering structured spaces for vendors without disrupting urban mobility or sanitation. Evicting vendors is not a practical or lawful solution, said a town vending committee official. "We cannot remove vendors overnight, especially from popular areas like Cotton Hill Road at Vazhuthacaud and Kesavadasapuram-Paruthipara stretch, where food streets have organically come up," he said. "People are enjoying these spaces. We are aiming for an organised system that benefits both vendors and corporation," he added. The new proposal is seen as an expanded version of the model vending zones operating along RKV Road near Museum police station. Corporation intends to replicate and scale up this model in the city, said the official. However, authorities acknowledge limitations in enforcing strict measures against vendors due to protections under the 2014 Act. In the past, initiatives to regulate vending zones faced hurdles, with some projects slowing down due to restrictions by city police. Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd was also involved in setting up vending zones along RKV Road and the ongoing work at Shanghumugham.
