Hawkers Protest Vending Zone Plan in Vijayawada

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation's 16-member Town Vending Committee has proposed a zoning plan to regulate street vending by designating areas as green (restriction-free), amber (restricted), and red (no-vending) zones, sparking protests from hawkers who say it endangers their livelihoods. The plan, finalized on May 4, 2026, identifies 496 green, 33 amber, and 156 red zones in Circle I; 207 green, 53 amber, and 26 red in Circle II; and 82 green, 53 amber, and 203 red in Circle III.

The A.P. Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2017, require due process—including notice, hearing, and relocation—before moving hawkers, but vendors allege they were excluded from the committee and face arbitrary enforcement. Hawkers on Besant Road, where tensions have escalated between shop owners and vendors, say the plan unfairly targets them while accommodating corporate interests.

Last week, hawkers staged a protest near the VMC office demanding urgent issuance of street vendor identity cards, which grant legal protection and access to welfare schemes. Someswara Rao, a leader in a CITU-affiliated hawkers’ association, said many who paid for the cards have not received them.

The VMC has issued notices to 200 individuals suspected of holding unauthorized ID cards; 131 have responded with explanations, while 69 remain under scrutiny. The civic body said the verification process will conclude shortly, and the vending zone plan will proceed following due process. The hawkers’ association has threatened further protests if their demands are not addressed.