KOCHI: Rehabilitation of vendors and fixing street vending zones has been an ongoing process in Kochi for several years. In November 2021. the High court had ordered the corporation to implement the Street Vending (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act of 2014 at the earliest. However, the corporation has not even finished the verification of street vendors or issued them identity cards, and the entire process is likely to be delayed.
Following the court order, the corporation received an additional 2,500 applications from street vendors by December 6, 2021. “These applications are being verified by members of the corporation health committee and Kudumbasree. Draft of the town vending plan is also being prepared simultaneously. The spot verification of vending zones began yesterday, “ said P S Viju, councillor and a member of the town vending committee. “The corporation has issued temporary licences to 1,989 genuine vendors. We are speeding up the process. We hope to begin rehabilitation of street vendors by January end,” he added.
According to K A Usman, secretary, Ernakulam District Street Vending Workers Union, over 3,000 street vendors are scattered across the city.
“Some of them are genuine. Yert, the corporation is yet to finish their verification,” he said. “The high court asked the Kochi corporation secretary to submit a report on January 4. We are looking forward to the court’s decision and will hold a town vending committee meeting to discuss it further,” he added.
Major spots in the city, such as Thoppumpady, Vytila, Thevara, South Junction, and Broadway, might have designated vending zones. According to corporation sources, space under the metro rail is also being considered for accommodating vendors, after discussing it with KMRL.
However, the source added that the officials are not willing to implement the act. “Corruption and other factors have affected the smooth implementation of the Street Vending Act 2014,” the source added.