Bengaluru: Activists slam eviction of street vendors by traffic police

“We are only removing illegally parked vehicles and establishments encroaching the footpaths,”Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M N Anucheth said.

Activists have condemned the traffic police’s action of removing street vendors from some areas as part of their drive to reclaim footpaths.

On Monday, each of the 48 city police stations cleared one stretch of a footpath along the main roads in their jurisdiction, removing illegally parked vehicles and encroachments. Some activists noted that street vendors have also been cleared from some spots, violating the Street Vendors Act.

Rangaswamy, Town Vending Committee (TVC) member and KPCC street vendors committee state president, said undertaking such drives to remove street vendors without consulting the vending committee is wrong. “We are willing to challenge the evictions, if they continue,” he said.

Vinay Sreenivasa, member of Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyaapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta, dubbed the action a “violation of the simple rule of law”. He also pointed out that it is incorrect to evict vendors without the BBMP conducting a survey and creating vending zones.

“The last survey was conducted in 2017. Why is the BBMP not conducting a new one? Regardless, evicting street vendors without any notice is not allowed by anybody, including the traffic police,” he said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M N Anucheth noted that the traffic police did not focus on evicting street vendors.

“We are only removing illegally parked vehicles and establishments encroaching the footpaths,” he said. “Wherever we found vendors during the drive, we only moved them to a different location with the BBMP’s permission so that pedestrian movement is not affected.”