GHMC comes up with Vending Zone Policy to make hassle free traffic

HYDERABAD: The absence of earmarked zones and lack of planning has added to the slow movement of traffic in many areas in the city.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Street Vending Policy, which proposed 81 vending zones, once implemented can reduce traffic woes, say experts and traffic police.
Traffic is often slowed down due to street hawkers in areas including Secunderabad, Kukatpally, Koti, Mehdipatnam, Charminar, and also Sultan Bazaar resulting congested areas mostly at peak times in a given typical day.

"Hawkers occupy a major portion of the road even during peak hours which increases the travel time substantially," said Prashant Chaturvedi, a bank employee who uses Koti Road often.
According to traffic cops, hawkers have moved into residential areas and connecting bylanes in colonies. This move by hawkers creates problem for the residential people thereby.

"Hawkers have also shifted to connecting roads and by-lanes obstructing the flow of traffic. Introducing no vending zones in selected areas is the only solution for the traffic menace," said A V Ranganath, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Hyderabad.

According to the Street Vending Policy, the city has to be categorised into no vending zone, partial vending zones and always vending zones. GHMC has identified partial vending zones, and always vending zones. They are yet to mark no vending zones.

"We have marked 98 partial vending zones and always vending zones, in many areas including Serilingampally Circle which covers a part of IT Corridor, Quthbullapur Circle and Alwal Circle. The no vending zones will be marked soon," said V Bhaskara Chary GHMC additional commissioner, Urban Community Development wing. Hawkers are not allowed in the no vending zones while in the partial vending zone, hawkers are allocated a specific time for their business.

The Central government has directed all states to implement Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood; Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014. According to the Act, municipalities should ensure free flow of traffic while implementing the policy which secures hawkers and protects their livelihood and social security.