Victoria owners to get licences as hawkers

MUMBAI: The owners of Victoria carriages will soon be considered hawkers, making them eligible to the facilities provided by the civic body. The state took the decision

MUMBAI: The owners of Victoria carriages will soon be considered hawkers, making them eligible to the facilities provided by the civic body. The state took the decision at a meeting headed by chief secretary Swadhin Kshatriya on Saturday

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The Bombay high court ordered a ban on the carriages last year, affecting 130 carriage owners. According to sources in the home department, Victoria owners will get a hawker’s licence and a stall at the hawkers’ plaza, along with other benefits. The plan will be sent to the state cabinet headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for final approval.

The HC had ordered the owners be rehabilitated by December 31, but the state could not come up with a rehabilitation scheme acceptable to the owners.

“We offered them licences for taxi, auto rickshaw and hawking, but they were not too keen. This time, almost 75% of the owners are ready to take up the offer,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity.

Significantly, rules for implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, is yet to be made by the state government. In addition, the state government is also required to frame a scheme for street vendors (hawkers) pending with it for more than a year.