The Indian Express                        12.04.2013

To give pedestrians room, PMC hunts for hawker space

Struggling to prevent encroachment of roads and footpaths which frequent action on hawkers has failed to check, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will identify locations for weekly and fortnightly markets for them to operate. Setting up such spaces is part of the civic body's policy for hawkers that is awaiting the state government nod.

The civic administration has been repeatedly carrying out drives to evict hawkers from roads and footpaths, without much success. The state government has been urging PMC to prevent city roads and footpaths from being encroached so that pedestrians get their space.

"The only way to discourage hawkers from encroaching roads and footpaths is to provide them with an alternative space to carry out their business for livelihood. Thus the civic administration has decided to set up weekly and fortnightly markets across the city where hawkers can sell their ware," said Additional Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Jagtap.

The PMC administration has identified 10 locations where hawkers' markets can come up, he said adding that the search for more vacant places is on across the city.

"Places close to main roads would be preferred but they should not interfere with footpath or road space. The civic administration is also looking at amenity spaces available with the civic body," Jagtap said.

He said efforts are on to implement the civic body's policy for hawkers that allows setting up such markets, even though the policy is awaiting state government approval. The administration will also implement the policy of keeping 45 roads free of hawkers, Jagtap said.

There is a demand from some to allow hawkers to operate on a few roads by making them no-vehicle zones for selected hours so that hawkers can carry out their business and citizens can take advantage of it.