Design and Implementation of Street Vendors Rules

Regulation of street vending has been a challenge for Delhi since as early as the 1960s. By catering to the day-to-day requirements of a large section of the populace and providing a livelihood to a large number of people, largely those migrating from rural areas and other states, street vending has been pivotal to Delhi's economy. Yet successive master plans and schemes by municipal bodies have grappled with the increasing number of vendors and providing them adequate space in a way that prevents their harassment and ensures the protection of their rights.

With the advent of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 passed by the Parliament, vendors have, at last, found legal recognition and statutory protection of their rights. Under the mandate of the Act, the Government of NCT of Delhi was responsible to prescribe rules and frame a scheme under the Act. DDC advised the Urban Development Department of GNCTD in the formulation of the Delhi Rules of 2017 and Delhi Scheme of 2019 and continues to support their implementation in the NCT of Delhi. These Rules and the Scheme have been hailed as highly progressive instruments for street vendors.
 

Key Initiatives Undertaken towards Implementation of the Rules and the Scheme
 

• About 28 Town Vending Committees (TVCs) have been formed across Delhi, indicating deep decentralisation.
   
• The Committees, comprising 30 members each, have as many as 12 street vendors elected by all the registered vendors of the concerned zone. With market associations, resident welfare associations, NGOs, local bodies etc. being part of the Committees, GNCTD has ensured that decision-making takes into account a diverse set of stakeholders.
   
• Demarcation of vending and non-vending zones is no longer a purely bureaucratic process. This responsibility has been entrusted to the Town Vending Committees so that the most important stakeholders, who have their eyes and ears to the ground, make this decision.
   
• The Scheme provides for a robust survey and registration mechanism for vendors, ensuring that every vendor has a right to be recognised, and an opportunity to vend at a place of their choosing, subject to certain limitations.
   
• The Town Vending Committees also have the crucial mandate to prepare the street vending plan for various zones. In addition to bringing democracy to the grassroots, this has ensured that issues like decongestion of streets, maintenance of amenities, hygiene and sanitation, availability of goods and services to consumers etc. are addressed by a diverse body of vendors, technical experts, as well as residents and formal markets.
   

DDC has supported the implementation of the Act in Delhi in a multi-pronged manner. It has supported the Urban Development Department with drafts of the rules and the scheme. DDC also provides research support and undertakes an analysis of global best practices in this area to recommend policy reforms to the Urban Development Department.
 

DDC supports the Urban Development Department in the smooth implementation of the rules and the scheme. As the implementation of the Act, Rules and the Scheme faces teething issues, DDC has assisted the Department in litigation matters and administrative interventions. Cooperation and continuous dialogue between multiple government agencies are required to resolve the grievances received. DDC ensures coordination between local bodies and street vendors, actively participates in meetings and organises consultations to further the objectives of the Rules.
 

The approach has been centred around the principle of recognition, inclusion and protection of street vendors, and is coming to fruition as the survey nears completion. This will be followed by local bodies preparing plans for street vending on the recommendations of the TVCs.