National Policy on Urban Street Vendors

 In 2009, the Government had comprehensively revised the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors (2004). The revised National Policy on Urban Street Vendors, 2009 aims at fostering a congenial environment for the urban street vendors to carry out their activities without harassment from any quarter. It also provides mechanism of regulation of such activities to avoid congestion on sidewalks and to ensure free flow of traffic on roads.

The salient features of the policy are mentioned as follows:

1. A Town Vending Committee (TVC) is to be constituted by the appropriate Government in all cities/towns.
2. To prevent the extortion of street vendors, the collection of revenue through TVC introduced.
3. TVC to be responsible for redressal of grievances and resolution of disputes arising amongst street vendors or between street vendors and third parties – as the first point of intervention.
4. Demarcation of ‘Restriction- Free Vending Zones’, ‘Restricted Vending Zones’ and ‘No-Vending Zones’ to be made city/town specific; Mobile vending to be permitted in all areas unless designated as ‘No-vending Zone’.
5. Master/zonal/local development plans to address the requirements of space for street vending as an important urban activity.
6. There should not be any cut-off date for registration or limit imposed on the number of vendors to be permitted in any city/town.
7. Registration and issuance of Identity Cards to street vendors with details such as vendor’s code number, vendor’s name, vendor’s nominee, category (stationary/mobile) etc.
8. Comprehensive, digitised photographic surveys of street vendors and their locations .
9. Concept of roster-based time-sharing model of space introduced where demand for space exceeds supply.
10. Provision for reservation for SCs/STs and priority to differently-abled persons in the allocation of vending stalls/spaces.
11. A time limit for stationary vendors – 10 years with a further extension of another 10 years introduced.
12. Street vendors, being micro-entrepreneurs to be provided with access to credit, microfinance, insurance, vocational education etc.