Demarcating zones for hawking, establishing of a livelihood advancement cell and forming an apex and zone committees are some of the prominent proposals made by a survey on streamlining the vendor system on the city roads.
The survey was conducted by the Coimbatore Corporation and IC Centre for Governance (ICCG) and its report was released in the city on Thursday by District Collector P. Umanath, in the presence of City Police Commissioner C. Sylendra Babu, Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra and the ICCG Co-ordinator S. Baskar.
The survey was done as the first step towards implementing the National Policy on Street Vendors. The objectives were: providing vending licences, support system for them for livelihood advancement and also streamlining the city's streets and pavements so that vehicle and pedestrian movement is smooth.
After declaring zones – red (no vending area) and green (vending area) – those already operating in the red zones could be re-located, the survey said. The provision of basic facilities such as electricity, toilets, water supply and even garbage disposal were the other objectives.
The database provided by the non-Governmental organisation's survey would help banks identity potential beneficiaries for micro-finance.
The survey followed discussions among the Corporation, city police, ICCG and vendors on the need for re-location from the present areas of vending. The vendors were assured that the zoning would be done in a manner that would not affect their livelihood. A yellow zone could also be earmarked for restricted hours of vending, such as non-peak hours of traffic. All zones could be identified jointly by the traffic police, town planning wing and representatives of a non-Governmental organisation involved in the scheme.
The survey also called upon the town planning and revenue department to identify vacant lands for creating new markets. New kiosks could be designed to occupy minimum space along roads.
The new programme aimed at establishing a credible system of licensing for vendors. They would be registered and issued identity cards and allowed to operate only for legally approved locations for vending.
The implementation of the project and the sustaining of the system would be overseen by a Town Vending Committee headed by the District Collector, Mr. Baskar said.
