Kochi: In an effort to regularize street vendors, the city corporation has proposed to set up exclusive street vending zones in selected areas in the city. Buildings will be constructed for authorised street vendors from which the civic body will collect rent. All other illegal street vendors will be evacuated in a phased manner, announced deputy Mayor T.J. Vinod in the annual budget for 2017-18 fiscal.
The two areas identified for the vending zone are the Mullassery Canal Road and the area in front of the children’s museum. Currently, fashion street at Mullassery Canal Road has 72 vendors while the area near children’s museum houses 92 traders. All the vendors will be rehabilitated to the permanent shops to be constructed.
“Since illegal wayside vendors operate along footpaths causing difficulties to pedestrians and motorists, all such carts will be removed. In the first phase, wayside vending will be completely banned along the stretch from Goshree Bridge to BTH junction. Special monitoring squads will be constituted to prevent resurfacing of the carts,” said V.K Minimol, health committee chairperson.
As part of the Smart City Mission, mobile carts with uniform size and structure will be introduced.
In Fort Kochi, where the civic body’s constant efforts to evacuate roadside vendors from busy areas and roads failed, exclusive hawking zones will be set up. Hawking will not be allowed in any other parts of the tourist spot.
