Roadside Vendor (img: IANS)

Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has set up 54 vegetable and fruit markets in various zones of the city to provide roadside vendors with a retail outlet.

However, the roads of Surat are still congested, as many of these sellers refuse to occupy their allotted markets.

More vendors sell outside markets than inside

The SMC surveyed to understand the reason behind the increasing number of street vendors on Surat’s roads.

The survey revealed that despite setting up 54 marketplaces in the city for roadside vendors at hefty costs, many of them remain unoccupied.

The SMC had also allotted the vendors their respective stalls by conducting draws, but only 34 of these marketplaces have been occupied by them.

22 out of the 54 marketplaces still see vendors selling their vegetables and fruits on the roads, outside the premises, rather than at their allotted stalls.

Among these, six are in the Varachha B zone, followed by five each in the Limbayat and Udhna zones, four in Katargam, and two in the Athwa zone.

Zone-wise empty vegetable and fruit marketplaces:

Problems arising for Surat locals

The locals complain that the corporation is not taking any strict action against the vendors, and the problem is persistent.

The corporation has been alleged to have merely conducted confiscation drives a few times, but with no strict action being taken, the problem of vendors flocking the roads is increasing.

The areas where the vendors take their marketplaces to the roads experience heavy traffic congestion for hours.

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