Mumbai: Cuffe parade now has boards with names of licenced hawkers

Swish SoBo area now has boards with names of licenced hawkers in bid to clean up for community, create more organised open spaces

The swish area of Cuffe Parade has a recent addition to its landscape. Two new signboards have sprung up there in the past fortnight, with names of hawkers licenced to operate in the area.

A board with names of licenced hawkers at Nariman Point

Harshita Narvekar, corporator for Ward 226 told mid-day, "We are replicating what we'd started at Nariman Point recently. There too, we have a couple of boards in the area citing names of licenced hawkers, their numbers, what they are supposed to sell and we have demarcated spaces for the hawkers."

A board at a location in Cuffe Parade

Transparency is key
The boards in Cuffe Parade have names of only five licenced hawkers, "Though the reality is otherwise," said Harshita. The corporator says this is a "small step to bring about transparency. In Nariman Point, we worked closely with the residents' association, especially when they had problems with hawkers.

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Another one of the recent boards at Cuffe Parade

The sign specifying what the hawker is supposed to sell is vital as we have had complaints about cylinders being brought to the roads by hawkers selling what they are not licenced to sell."

"The Cuffe Parade boards also raise awareness about licenced hawkers. The layperson is not going to check whether a hawker is licenced but this is for activists and those working in the area. It ends arguments about licences and we are moving nearer to keeping a closer watch on hawkers in the area, and finally, setting up a hawking zone. Transparency is key for that," said Harshita who wants to see the measure replicated at Churchgate.

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Colaba corporator Makarand Narvekar agrees people will continue patronizing all kinds hawkers, but he says, "This information about which hawkers are licenced must be in the public domain simply for transparency. Even psychologically, hawkers know there is a check on them."

The corporator goes a step further, saying, "If people know who is a licenced hawker through these boards, then they must make an effort not to buy from unlicenced hawkers. Makarand wants boards like these to "come up soon near Colaba market."

Another arrow
For Viren Shah, president Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) closely connected to the hawkers' issue, "These boards will definitely help. This is one more arrow in the quiver for watchdogs or vigilantes, who will now have the information upfront. Action can also be swifter, thanks to the transparency they will bring about."

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