Smart vending zone to come up at RKV Lane

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The shabby and cluttered vending outlets at RKV Lane near the Museum police station will be a thing of the past with the authorities gearing to set up the first-ever designated vending zone. The plan is to provide proper rehabilitation for around 50 hawkers and vendors on the lane. The zone will be set up at a cost Rs 3-crore by the Smart City International Ltd (SCTL).

An official associated with the project said: “We will be widening the existing narrow footpaths. While half of the lane will be demarcated for the traffic, the other half will have shops constructed. There will be a walkway between shops.” The SCTL has already invited tenders for the execution of the project. “We will be setting up aerobic bins for scientific waste management and CCTVs for effective surveillance. There will be a five-year defect liability period for the project. The party implementing the project would be responsible for fixing the defects in the structures,” said the official. 

The official said that shops will be provided with basic cooking facilities. “We will be providing separate water and power connection for each vending unit. There is a vending committee under the civic body,” said the official. Town Planning Standing Committee chairman Palayam Rajan said that the project would give a makeover to the lane, which is primarily used for parking. “Tourists who visit Museum and Kanakakkunnu depend on these vendors at RKV. We plan to provide these vendors with improved infrastructure,” he said and added that more zones would be set up in various parts of the city.