As hawkers continue to thrive across the city despite BMC raids, local ward officials, police and citizen groups will experiment with a new idea in Bandra—take action against shops and private premises that patronise the street vendors and give them space to keep their wares during raids. Sources said the BMC might even cancel the licences of shops that add to the hawker menace. In a meeting with ALM members and police on Tuesday, H-West ward officials assured of action against erring shopkeepers.

In a meeting with members of the advanced locality management and police officers, officials from H west ward, which has jurisdiction over Bandra west, assured on Tuesday of action against erring shopkeepers and private properties that help hawkers. “Though the BMC takes action against hawkers, most of the time, they are tipped beforehand and are back on roads after the civic squad returns,” said a resident of Hill Road.