In a bid to legalise Mumbai's street vending sector, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to begin issuing QR code-enabled identity cards to eligible hawkers from June 10.
The move is aimed at formally recognising thousands of vendors and bringing greater transparency to street vending across the city.
The decision follows a meeting between Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and a delegation from Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi and party leader Sanjay Nirupam.
During the discussion, the delegation urged the civic administration to provide registered hawkers with QR code-based identification cards and implement provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
According to Ghadi, the BMC has assured that the distribution of the cards will commence through ward offices from June 10 and is expected to be completed within a short period. The identity cards will be issued to 99,435 hawkers who were identified in a 2014 survey conducted under the Street Vendors Act. Possession of these cards will grant vendors official recognition as authorised hawkers until Town Vending Committees (TVCs) are established and hawking zones are formally demarcated.
The delegation also demanded that, in line with Bombay High Court directives, areas not covered under designated no-hawking zones should be declared hawking zones. At present, court orders prohibit hawking in 20 high-traffic locations, including areas surrounding major railway stations such as Churchgate, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, and Bandra.
Nirupam stated that nearly 3,500 vendors who previously operated in these restricted zones would need to be accommodated in nearby locations once the hawking framework is implemented.
However, a senior civic official clarified that only slightly over 10,000 hawkers currently possess valid licences. The larger figure of 99,435 represents applicants who submitted forms for regularisation to the Town Vending Committee in 2024. The official added that final decisions regarding their licences can only be taken after the TVCs become operational.
The formation of the TVCs remains a key issue. Opposition leaders have called for their immediate establishment, citing Bombay High Court directives. Although elections for hawker representatives were conducted in 2024, the results were announced only earlier this year following court intervention. Mumbai is still awaiting the constitution of seven zonal TVCs and one central committee, which will ultimately determine authorised vending locations throughout the city.
The hawkers' issue has also exposed differences within Maharashtra's ruling alliance. While Shiv Sena leaders have advocated protection for eligible street vendors, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has supported anti-encroachment drives and expressed concerns regarding illegal hawking activities.
Responding to allegations that a significant number of hawkers in Mumbai are Bangladeshi nationals, Nirupam rejected the claim. He said authorities should take strict action against illegal immigrants wherever necessary, but argued that current eviction drives are adversely affecting legitimate Indian vendors. He further claimed that around 40 per cent of Mumbai's hawkers are residents of Maharashtra and questioned the number of alleged illegal foreign nationals actually identified by civic authorities or the police.
The planned QR code identity card initiative is being viewed as a significant step towards implementing long-pending street vending regulations and providing legal recognition to thousands of vendors across Mumbai.
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