The Times of India 20.12.2013
45 roads, 153 junctions to breathe easy
PUNE: Vehicles and pedestrians will have more space on roads as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) declared no-hawking zones on 45 roads and 153 junctions in the city.
Municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak told media persons that a meeting with hawkers was held on Thursday to discuss the modalities of their rehabilitation, which will be done in accordance with the Supreme Court directive.
As a first step, the civic administration has formed a town vending committee (TVC), which will start with registration of vendors in the demarcated areas.
The TVC will identify hawkers using a biometric system. Finger prints of every hawker will be taken and their place of operation and business details will be noted down. This info will be made available online using GPS and GIS systems to make sure only the registered vendors function that too in the allotted areas.
Representatives of vendors' organisations and NGOs too will be part of the committee, which will help civic officials keep an eye on hawkers. Also on the anvil are dedicated weekly and biweekly markets and special markets for food/vegetables, among other plans.
"As per the Supreme Court order dated September 13, 2013 and directives of the state government's urban development department dated October 21 2013, the civic administration will allow all vendors to do business. But this will continue until the directives of the national vendor policy 2009 are implemented," said Pathak.
Nearly 1,178 stalls will be allotted in specially-built markets for those who have been displaced during the anti-encroachment drive.
According to the data provided by the municipal corporation, the city has around 18,000 vendors and hawkers (with and without licences) and 7,500 licensed stall owners. The PMC has not issued a single licence since 1997.
The PMC has been demolishing illegal stalls and sheds on 42 important roads of the city since March this year. However, it has been under pressure from hawkers' unions and political parties that want the drive to be suspended. With the formation of TVC, the vexed issue is expected to be settled amicably.
One of the positive effects of PMC's action was visible in Mahatma Phule vegetable market area (Mandai) where the demolition squad recently cleared all the encroachments. Now, there is now enough space on the road for the PMPML to start a bus service to different parts of the city. Since Mandai is an important market area, people from all parts of the city visit the place and they will find the bus service convenient. Declaring important roads and junctions as no-hawking zones will only help improve the public transport system while creating more space for walkers and motorists.
Satish Khot, president of National Society for Clean Cities, said the PMC's initiative will help citizens by improving traffic situation. "It is a positive step. People need hawkers but discipline on part of the hawkers is equally important," said Khot.
Ravindra Malwadkar of the Shivray Vichar hawkers union, said, "The initiative is a win-win for all. Total ban on hawkers was not feasible. Only high-traffic zones on roads should have restrictions. Footpaths should be for walkers as well as hawkers."
