GUNTUR: To prevent traffic congestion in the city, Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) officials plan to implement the street vending zones policy efficiently.
Due to increasing vehicular traffic in the city, traffic congestion has become a major issue. In addition to this, vendors setting up their businesses on road margins and footpaths are further causing distress to commuters. To facilitate the street vendors and ease traffic issues on main streets, GMC has initiated the setup of street vending zones where every street vendor will be allotted a specific spot to conduct their businesses.
Though the policy was implemented a few years ago and identity cards were issued to over 5,000 vendors in the city with the coordination of the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), due to improper implementation, the street vending zones failed to work for long and ease traffic issues.
Though the town planning officials instructed the street vendors to follow the regulations, the situation did not improve.
Following this, GMC Commissioner P Srinivasulu set up as many as three committees. The committees are headed by the Additional Commissioner, City Planner, and Superintendent Engineer of GMC. The committees will identify suitable spots for the set up of street vending zones for the vendors so as not to cause traffic congestion. Red, amber, and green zones will be set up under the street vending policy, said the civic chief.
Officials are instructed to identify the number of vendors and issue identification cards to them before the setup of vending zones. The Commissioner also urged the street vendors to cooperate with GMC and not cause inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians by setting up businesses on road margins and footpaths until the vending zones are set up.
Red, amber, green zones
The panels will identify suitable spots for the setup of street vending zones for the vendors to prevent traffic congestion. Red, amber, and green zones will be set up under the street vending policy