Besant Road clears up after hawker eviction
A day after hawkers without valid vending certificates were evicted, Besant Road in Vijayawada, once packed with pushcarts, vehicles and customers, wore a deserted look
A day after hawkers without valid vending certificates were evicted, Besant Road in Vijayawada, once packed with pushcarts, vehicles and customers, wore a deserted look on Wednesday. Many pushcarts that had occupied the middle of the narrow road, causing frequent traffic congestion, were removed, allowing vehicles to move freely. While the road finally got some breathing space, offering hope to shop owners who had filed a PIL in the A.P. High Court last year seeking action against illegal hawkers, many small vendors lamented the loss of their livelihood. The eviction drive follows the High Court’s order of February 2026 directing the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner to ensure that only licensed vendors are allowed to operate on Besant Road.
According to officials of the VMC Town Planning Department, only 90 of the 257 hawkers identified on the road possessed valid vending certificates. The VMC issued show-cause notices to the vendors in April, giving them 30 days to respond in accordance with the A.P. Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2017. Eviction orders were issued in June, directing them to vacate the road within three days. However, the civic body was occupied with the conduct of the International Day of Yoga programmes last month, giving the vendors additional time. On July 6, officials orally asked them to relocate to C.K. Reddy Road, near the Old Government General Hospital, which had been identified as an alternative vending zone.
When the vendors refused to move, the eviction drive began on July 7 amid protests by hawkers and union leaders. According to officials, 140 hawkers were evicted on Tuesday. Parvathi, who has been selling lemons on Besant Road for the past 30 years, was among those asked to relocate. A widow, she is yet to receive a pension and depends on her daily earnings of ₹400 to ₹500 to support her family. “I have been asked to relocate to C.K. Reddy Road, where there is no market. I will not earn even half of what I make here,” she said. Like Parvathi, several other hawkers have refused to shift, fearing a sharp fall in their income.
A clothing store owner, who requested anonymity, said business had suffered significantly because of inadequate parking space and persistent traffic congestion caused by roadside vending. “We only hope they do not return after a few days. If they don’t, our business may finally get back on track,” the shop owner said.
The BriefWire