THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It’s been nine years since the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 came into effect. However, its implementation still remains on paper, leaving around 3,500 street vendors in the capital in the lurch.
What’s worse is that instead of protecting the vendors’ livelihood, as envisaged in the Act, the Thiruvananthapuram corporation and police are making their lives hell through unlawful eviction and strict restrictions.
Many vendors had to give up owing to constant interruptions by the police. Interestingly, the police action comes at a time when the state is gearing up to implement its very first nightlife project at Kanakakunnu. Ansif Ashraf shut down his street food joint near Jawahar Nagar after the police imposed strict timing restrictions.
“They wanted me to operate from 8 pm to 11 pm. Three hours are not enough for me to earn and pay my employees. I had started the joint with high hopes, but shut down following police intervention as I didn’t want to incur any further loss,” said Ansif.
Alleging that the new timing restrictions have dealt a huge blow on street vendors, food truck owner Mani R said half of the food trucks in the capital shut shop due to them. “I had to close down all my three trucks. I used to pay Rs 50,000 per year as taxes for each. It became unaffordable and so I sold them. I am now running a ‘thattukada’, which is more viable financially,” Mani said.
He said all of them had applied for a licence and registration from the corporation in 2017. “We were even willing to pay taxes and register as food truck. The motor vehicles department and civic authorities did not heed our request and took no effort to legalise our business,” he said.
Other than issuing some ID cards, the corporation hasn’t done much, rued the vendors. “Despite multiple surveys, the civic body is yet to finalise the list of street vendors and bring them under the law’s protection. Vendors are facing eviction. The street vending committee is yet to be formed,” said Seetha Dasan of the Kerala Street Vendors Forum.
Authorities say interference by trade unions affiliated to different parties is making things more difficult. “The unions are not allowing us to finalise the vendors’ list, which is crucial for constituting the vendors committee — an elected body with representatives from street vendors. The unions are unhappy with the list and are vetoing it, delaying the process,” a senior corporation official told TNIE.
Traders shun vending zones
Though inaugurated nearly a year ago, the first-ever smart vending zone set up by Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) at RKV Lane to rehabilitate street vendors and hawkers on Museum and Sooryakanthi premises has failed to serve its purpose.
A section of traders in the beneficiary list refused to occupy the shops citing flaws in the design. Thirty-six modules that could accommodate 46 vendors were set up. The zone aimed to put an end to unorganised vending activities that were disrupting pedestrian movement.
Explaining the flaws, one of the beneficiaries who did not want to be named said, “There are gaps between the roofs of each shop, and there is leakage when it rains. The design is unscientific. We want them to redesign and install better and secured doors for the shops.”
Acting on the complaints, SCTL is gearing up to redesign the smart vending zone. “We did not run a common roof. Their vendors want one. We have held discussions with the contractor and will redesign the zone,” said an SCTL official. The official, however, refuted the traders’ claims of there being leakage. “There is no leakage. The rainwater falls on the courtyard, not inside the shops,” said the official.
Zones with mobile vending units
The corporation and SCTL are planning to set up 12 designated smart vending zones. Sources said the SCTL board has okayed setting up two zones immediately. SCTL is planning to procure multi-purpose mobile vending units to set up the zones.
“Two zones will be set up within four months. SCTL will design the vending units with the help of Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd, the consultant,” said a source. The SCTL official said they will invite tenders within two weeks.
“The estimated cost is around Rs 2 crore. We are planning to set up 40 multi-purpose vending units and 10 mobile food vending units in the surroundings of the Museum. The locations are tentative. Each unit is expected to cost around Rs 45 lakh,” said the official.