CHENNAI: A 270-metre stretch of North Avenue Road near Captain Cotton Canal in MKB Nagar is being transformed into the city’s first organised model street vending zone. The aim is to decongest the locality and relocate vendors to the stretch to accommodate 130 food stalls, flower sellers and provision stores.
GCC has identified 35,000 street vendors to be accommodated in the 776 designated vending zones across the city.It has also identified 491 non-vending zones.
GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran said the design for this stretch was presented at a town vending committee meet on Monday, where it was accepted by the committee. “We will accord final approval by next week. We have identified space for 150 stalls, and 96 vendors are already prepared to occupy them,” he said.
The stalls will be from nearby roads, including Meenambal Salai, Central Avenue, West Avenue and several other streets. The vending zone will cover a 270-metre stretch both sides of the 14-metre wide North Avenue. The area is conveniently located near neighbourhoods such as Vyasarpadi, Erukanchery and Kodungaiyur.
Katta Ravi Teja, regional deputy commissioner (North), said they chose the stretch because it is a main road with broad pavements. “Currently, buses and trucks are parked here along the pavements. We conducted a field visit from 10am to 7pm to assess all criteria, and this road suits.
All existing encroachments will be cleared,” he said. Officials also highlighted that the road’s location near a T-shaped junction would make it easily accessible from surrounding streets.
Teja said that the vendors have currently encroached on busy areas of M K B Nagar, such as West Avenue, where accident risks are high. “Pavements in those areas are not interconnected, and some are damaged. Relocating vendors to this zone will allow us to repair those pavements,” he said.
Kumaragurubaran said traffic flow and carriageway availability are primary criteria for choice of vending zones. “If traffic density is high, we will demarcate the area as a non-vending zone,” he said. He also announced plans to initiate similar model vending zones in Central and South Chennai, with necessary amenities such as toilets and washing facilities, along with licensing for food safety.
M Balamurugan, a street vendor and member of the town vending committee, welcomed the initiative but expressed concerns about vendor accommodation. “They must ensure all vendors are accommodated. Previously, there were more than 900 vending zones for 27,000 vendors in the defunct vending zone list. Now, there are only 776 zones for 35,000 vendors. GCC must increase the number of vending zones,” he said.