The Hindu              03.07.2013

Corporation identifies vending zones

Taking a step forward towards the implementation of the
National Policy on Urban Street Vendors, the City Corporation has
identified vending zones in each of the four zones in the city.

The
national policy recognises street vending as an integral part of the
urban retail trade and provides street vendors legal status. Street
vendors are to be enumerated ward wise and each street vendor will be
registered by the town vending committee and issued identity cards. The
policy recommends that municipal authorities provide a range of civic
services to street vendors, including allocation of designated areas for
their trade.

Keeping in line with the national
policy, the Corporation has identified about 80 places, 20 in Srirangam
zone, 15 in Golden Rock, 37 in Ariyamangalam and eight in
K.Abishekapuram zone, where vendors will be allowed to operate. All
other places in the city will be treated as non-vending zones. The list
of vending zones was approved by the Corporation Council recently and is
expected to be notified soon.

Significantly, the
list of vending zones does not include roads in the city’s main
commercial area such as the NSB Road, Big Bazaar Street, Singarathope
and Nandhi Kovil Street, where a large number of vendors operate
everyday. Enquiries revealed that the Corporation was planning to
accommodate the vendors operating in these areas on the Old Goodshed
Road and a few other places.

The Corporation Council
has already approved the constitution of a town vending committee to
register street vendors as laid down in the national policy. The town
vending committee will be empowered to collect a fee and monthly
maintenance charge, depending on the location and type of business.

The
Corporation would now collect applications from vendors to register
them, allocate sites and issue identity cards. Based on the number of
applications received, the Corporation would decide the list of vendors
for each place.