CR hopes to earn ₹30-50cr by regularising hawkers

The Central Railway in Mumbai plans to regularize hawking on local trains, allowing vendors to sell consumables and non-consumables.

Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) hopes to earn ₹30-50 crore per year as part of its plan to regularise hawking on local trains. Railway authorities will call for fresh tenders later this month, and hawkers and vendors will be allowed to sell consumables as well as non-consumable items inside locals on the main line and the harbour line till King’s Circle; hawking will not be allowed at railway stations and platforms.

HT Image

As per CR’s hawking guidelines proposed for a period of three years, vending will be allowed inside AC and non-AC trains in all classes of coaches and on the Matheran Heritage train. Successful bidders will have to submit a list of names of the vendors along with Aadhaar details, character certificate from the police station and medical certificate from a recognised hospital.

Contractors hired through the tendering process will officially bring in 1,500 hawkers who will ply their trade inside 1,810 local train services. These hawkers will have QR codes on their uniform, which can be scanned for information like their full name, Aadhaar number, and photograph. On average, hawkers currently earn ₹500-700 per day, said CR sources.

“Our whole intention is to ensure there are no unidentified people moving around inside rail premises. Once this proposal kicks off, hawkers will become a part of a databank and can be monitored. Male hawkers entering ladies’ compartments to sell their ware will also be stopped. Only women hawkers will be allowed in ladies’ compartments,” said a senior CR official on condition of anonymity.

But different passenger associations have opposed the railways’ move on grounds that it will create congestion inside local trains. “What will happen when these hawkers carry large bags containing their wares inside local trains? This will only cause inconvenience to commuters. We do not support this proposal,” said Lata Argade, member, Upanagriya Railway Pravasi Mahasangh.

Earlier this week, members of several passenger associations met CR officials where they expressed their displeasure over the proposal and urged the authorities to withdraw it. They also demanded that hawkers should not travel on trains during peak hours.

“The hawkers will not listen to commuters, which will only lead to arguments. Why can’t the railways allow them space on the wide elevated concourses at railway stations?” questioned Mansoor Darvesh, secretary, Rail Passengers and Traffic Relief Association of Mumbai.

Selling wares on railway premises is illegal. CR’s Mumbai Division collected ₹94.77 lakh in fines from illegal hawkers from April to October this year, whereas the railway police arrested 8,624 persons under section 144 of the Indian Railway Act.

H/L: Products on offer:

Consumables:

- Packaged food and drinks as per MRP

- Cooked food in paper packets, with price tag

- Packaged pre-cut vegetables and fruits, with date of packaging and price tag

Non-consumables:

- Travel products like lock, chain, pillows, personal hygiene products

- Haircare products, cosmetics

- Imitation jewellery and local handicrafts

- Mobile and laptop accessories

- Small garments, newspapers, sanitary napkins