Chennai Street Vendors Face February 28 Deadline for ID Card Collection
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has intensified efforts to regulate street vending by organising special ID card collection camps across all wards. With the February 28 deadline fast approaching, vendors who fail to collect their ID cards risk losing their licenses. The initiative, aimed at organising and legalising street vending within Chennai’s urban framework, is part of an effort to ensure better livelihood opportunities and smoother civic administration.
According to GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran, the vending regulation drive is being carried out under the supervision of the Street Vending Committee, which oversees vendor management and ensures compliance within designated vending and non-vending zones. In a recent meeting held on January 24, officials resolved to complete the distribution of remaining ID cards to registered street vendors. The newly issued ID cards will feature chip-based QR codes linked to a web portal, enabling better tracking and regulation of vending activities.
Strengthening Urban Vending Through Digital Identification
Street vending, a crucial part of Chennai’s informal economy, has often faced challenges related to unregulated sales, encroachment, and civic conflicts. To streamline operations, GCC introduced new smart ID cards that help distinguish authorised vendors from unauthorised encroachments. This system is expected to reduce illegal vending and ensure that authorised vendors get fair access to public spaces.
The first phase of ID card distribution, running from January 27 to February 15, saw 4,253 ID cards issued, bringing the total to 24,573. However, 6,567 vendors are yet to collect their cards, prompting the extension of distribution through special ward-level camps from February 16 to 28. Vendors must return their old ID cards and verify their identity via OTP authentication to receive the new digital card.
At the latest municipal council meeting, ward councillors urged authorities to include them in the Street Vending Committee, citing their on-ground knowledge of vending zones and illegal encroachments. They argued that local representatives play a crucial role in maintaining vending discipline, preventing congestion, and facilitating fair allocation of vending spots.
Civic Issues and The Urban Governance Perspective
Street vending has long been a contentious issue in urban governance, with concerns over illegal encroachments, pedestrian safety, and civic order. While vending provides employment to thousands, unregulated operations lead to congestion and safety hazards in key commercial and residential areas. The GCC’s latest initiative is a step towards balancing economic opportunity with urban order, ensuring that vendors operate within structured and legally designated zones.
This approach aligns with similar regulatory frameworks seen in other metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi, where street vending laws have been implemented with digital identification, mapping of vending areas, and structured licensing. Chennai’s smart ID initiative is expected to prevent the arbitrary eviction of vendors while empowering them with legal protection and business continuity.
Sustainability in Street Vending: The Long-Term Vision
Beyond regulation, this move also addresses sustainability concerns. By bringing street vending under formal governance, the city aims to optimise public space usage, improve waste management, and reduce congestion-related pollution. An organised vending system helps in curbing indiscriminate littering, promoting environmentally friendly practices, and ensuring better hygiene standards at vending locations.
The incorporation of digital tracking mechanisms through QR-coded ID cards also paves the way for smart urban management, allowing authorities to monitor vending hotspots, prevent overcrowding, and introduce eco-friendly vending policies in the future. If implemented effectively, this initiative could serve as a model for other cities striving to integrate informal economies into sustainable urban planning.
With the final deadline set for February 28, Chennai’s street vendors are in a race against time to secure their place in the city’s evolving urban landscape. The success of this initiative will not only benefit vendors but also contribute to a more structured, sustainable, and efficient urban vending ecosystem.
