Hawkers protest proposed vending zone regulations in Vijayawada

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation’s 16-member Town Vending Committee has proposed a plan to regulate street vending in the city by demarcating streets as restriction-free vending (green), restricted vending (amber), and no-vending (red) zones. While the move is intended to address the city’s growing traffic problems, hawkers on Besant Road allege that it will severely affect their livelihoods.

As per the plan proposed by the committee on May 4, 2026, meeting constituted by the civic body, there are 496 green, 33 amber, and 156 red zones in Circle I; 207 green, 53 amber and 26 red zones in Circle II; 82 green, 53 amber, and 203 red zones in Circle III.

The A.P. Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2017, recognises that the regulation of street vending is important to ensure free flow of traffic and smooth movement of pedestrians. If a hawker needs to be relocated, the process must follow a specific procedure; this includes issuing a notice, hearing the hawker’s case, and ensuring they are conveniently relocated.

The move has drawn sharp ire from hawkers, who fear they will lose their livelihood if the corporation goes ahead with the proposed plan. “The corporation does not think twice before giving space to big companies, but hawkers have become a nuisance to them. How is this fair?” asks former CPI(M) corporator B. Satyam Babu.

Reacting to the Besant Road issue, where shop owners and hawkers are at loggerheads over space, Mr. Satyam Babu said markets are meant to be busy and hawkers are lifeline of Besant Road. He also pointed out that the committee does not have any representative member from hawkers.

Last week, a few hawkers staged a protest near the VMC office highlighting their issues, and demanded that the corporation issue street vendors’ identity cards immediately. They alleged that some hawkers paid for the card but still did not receive it.

“The ID cards protect us from harassment by the police, corporation, and shop owners. The cards also make us eligible for various welfare schemes. But, there are many of us who are yet to receive it,” said Someswara Rao, member of a hawkers’ association, affiliated to CITU.

According to sources from the VMC, notices have been issued to 200 unauthorised ID holders. While 131 of them have submitted their explanation, 69 are yet to do so. The whole process is expected to complete soon.