Delhi: After 13 years, north civic body to issue licences for food trucks

A senior North Delhi municipal official said no such catering vans has been issued a fresh license since 2008, and only the old licenses are renewed every year.

After more than 13 years, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation will issue licenses for food trucks and catering vans serving food on wheels, officials said, after the agency finalised regulations and the fee regime for such establishments.

The leader of the North MCD House Chhail Bihari Goswami said food carts will help increase employment opportunities and that catering vans. (Sanchit Khanna/HT file photo. Representative image)

A senior North Delhi municipal official said no such catering vans has been issued a fresh license since 2008, and only the old licenses are renewed every year.

The leader of the North MCD House Chhail Bihari Goswami said food carts will help increase employment opportunities and that catering vans, now rebranded as ‘chef vans’ and e-food carts, will hit the roads in November.

A senior official from the public health department said that the erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi stopped issuing new licenses for food trucks in 2008 due to traffic congestion and concerns over hygiene.

“There was controversy over the traffic congestion and insanitation caused by one such cart near the Delhi University north campus and the matter was taken to courts. As a policy decision, the municipal corporation decided to stop issuing new food truck licenses,” said an official requesting anonymity.

The municipal corporation, through a private member resolution on August 27 this year, accorded an in-principal approval for the formulation of policy frameworks for new initiatives like e-food carts.

According to the policy prepared by the public health department, the north MCD jurisdiction has a population of 12 million, a significant number of whom are from poor socio-economic groups.

“Due to massive urbanisation, the living habits of the people have transformed, which has accelerated an increase in the growth of street food. The health trades related to food hubs may pave way for entrepreneurship, job opportunities and retail sale,” said the policy document.

A senior North Delhi civic official said under the e-food cart category, only battery-operated non-polluting vehicles will be permitted to sell pre-cooked food or packed food.

These food carts will only be permitted in commercial areas and can only operate in residential or mixed land-use areas between 8am and 10pm. The public health department has proposed a ₹10,000 registration fee, ₹1,000 processing fee and ₹25,000 license fee per annum for e-food carts. The other two municipal bodies are in different stages of notifying policies to permit such mobile food carts.