In a step towards regulating street vendors in the city, the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has decided to introduce a licensing system for them.
The move comes in the wake of the recent identification of vending zones in each of the four zones in the city towards implementing the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors.
About 80 places have been identified as vending zones, including 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 identified by the corporation 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 every day.
On Wednesday, the corporation council approved a resolution fixing an annual licence fee of Rs. 1,200 for street vendors. Vendors running temporary shops in an area of 6 ft x 4 ft would be required to pay a daily fee of Rs. 50 in areas classified as zone A and Rs. 30 in areas under zone B. Street vendors engaged in business without getting approval would be liable to pay a penalty of Rs. 250. The products sold by them would be seized and auctioned. The resolution said a Town Vending Committee would be formed as required under the national policy. The list of vendors in each area would be prepared by the corporation and they would be issued licences and allotted space for carrying on their trade. To obtain the licences, street vendors should be residents of the corporation limits. Space allotted to a particular vendor cannot be transferred. The National Policy on Urban Street Vendors recognises street vending as an integral part of the urban retail trade and provides legal status to the vendors.
Vendors are to be enumerated ward wise and each street vendor will be registered by the town vending committee and issued identity cards.
