Soon, carts designed to sell fruits, vegetables and flowers will be distributed to vendors and their sales points fixed at spots on Nethaji Road, at Manikoondu area and on Meenatchi Sundaranar Road to help them carry out their business without disturbing traffic or pedestrians.
Under the Model City Programme, the Erode Corporation has proposed to improve infrastructure and services in 1.03 sq. km. of Panneerselvam Park and Periyar Nagar area. A study carried out by Chennai-based consultants revealed that there were 127 street vendors in the planning area - Meenatchi Sundaranar Road (51 numbers), Manikoondu Road (46), Nethaji Road (15), E.V.N. Road (12) and Gandhiji Road (3). Of these, 39% were vegetable vendors, 24% fruit vendors and 37 % flower vendors. Most of the vendors were present on Meenatchi Sundaranar Road that included Panneerselvam Park.
Most of the vendors were found running the carts either on road or on pavements, disrupting traffic and causing hindrance to the pedestrians.
Under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the street vendors will be regulated and certificate of vending will be issued to them that enable them to carry out their business without hindrance. Each vendor unit that costs ₹ 98,000 will be distributed to vendors - fruit and vegetable vendors 80 numbers, food vendors 22 and flower vendors 25 at a total cost of ₹ 1.11 crore.
Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan told The Hindu that vending zones would be created and the vendor would be asked to run his/her business only in the allotted space. He said that regulation of vendors would help in smooth flow of traffic and the movement of pedestrians without difficulty in the planned area. Officials said street vendor, who possessed a certificate of vending, had the right to ask for a new area that would be decided by the Corporation in consultant with the Town Vending Committee.