City to get hawker zones, clear roads

Hyderabad, Feb. 12: The traffic police and the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad have decided not to allow pushcart vendors and hawkers, estimated to number about 4 lakhs, on the city’s roads and confine them to special zones. The move is designed to clear city roads, though it will mean that people, particularly working women, on their way back home will need to walk a little longer to pick up vegetables and fruits.
The police and MCH will divide the city into hawker-free red zone, the amber zone where street vending will be allowed on holidays, and the green zone for hawkers. Officials of the both departments have been asked identifying the areas from Monday. The scheme is not available for those who encroached on the city’s pavements and were evicted.
The MCH will use Geographical Information System to identify roads with heavy traffic and pedestrians. The officials expect to identify the zones in 15 days, and issue photoidentity cards in a month or two, earmark the hawkers and vendors categorywise, like vegetable vendor, fruit vendor, in each area. MCH commissioner Sanjay Jaju told this correspondent that the ubiquitous thelewala will not be allowed on all roads. “We will put up colour boards at each lane or zone so that both the citizens and vendors will know which zone is it,” he said.