The Hindu 10.02.2010
Scheme for creating vendor zones taking shape
Special Correspondent
| They will have to do business only in zones earmarked for it |
Photo:S. Siva Saravanan 
INITIATING CHANGE: Collector P. Umanath addresses a meeting with pavement vendors in the city on a scheme to create zones for them. —
COIMBATORE: A scheme to create pavement vendor zones is taking shape in the city, as per the guidelines issued under the National Policy on Vendors, 2004. From the present system of vendors setting up shop wherever they want to, they will have to do business only in zones earmarked for it.
Three zones will be created. The red zone will have no vendors and the green zone will have spaces allocated to them. As for the yellow zone, vendors can do business only during permitted hours or days.
The streamlining of the pavement vendors system will be done by taking the interests of the pedestrians and motorists and also the livelihood concerns of the vendors. As the first step, the district administration, Coimbatore Corporation and the city police heard the views of the vendors at a meeting on Tuesday.
Initiatives for Change Centre for Governance, a non-Governmental organisation, has joined the Corporation in carrying out a survey across the city to identify the number of street vendors in the city. The organisation’s co-ordinator S. Baskar explained at the meeting that studying the vendors’ socio-economic conditions, identifying places for the vending zones, formulating guidelines and constituting a committee to oversee street vending were the other tasks.
At a packed-to-capacity auditorium of the Corporation at R.S. Puram, the vendors received with a thunderous applause District Collector P. Umanath’s assurance that the exercise being embarked upon was not to put down street vendors but only to regulate the system and provide with better conditions.
The Collector, however, told them that space for doing only business would be provided. “Do not assume that we will grant patta for ownership of the earmarked place. And, you cannot sublet the space allotted to you,” he said. The Collector pointed out that the entire scheme was aimed at accommodating both the vendors and the public. “People and vehicles need enough space to move, just as you need space to earn a livelihood,” he said.
Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra said an inclusive approach was central to the entire scheme. Another thunderous applause broke out when he said: “My vendor friends”. One of the vendors near the dais remarked: “This is refreshingly different from the harassment we are usually subjected to.”
Stating that regulation of any system was vital, Mr. Mishra told the vendors that the administration, Corporation and the police would have to take into consideration the concerns of the pedestrians and the vendors.
Mr. Mishra said: “We want you to have a secure livelihood. That is why we are inviting your views. Our attempt is to provide a legal status to pavement vendors. Facilities such as mobile toilets will be provided in order to ensure hygiene in the vendor zones,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) P. Nagarajan said: “We have to balance your livelihood concerns with the expectations of the public in terms of providing them with movement space.”
Till the new scheme was implemented, vendors should not impede pedestrian and vehicle movement in their existing places, he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) N. Kamini said the police wanted to be a part of an initiative to improve the conditions for the vendors and the public.
Vendors who attended the meeting said they wanted to continue in the existing places as shifting would affect their income. Representatives of non-Governmental organisations called for hygiene in the vendor zones.
