MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday took cognizance of the failure of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mumbai Police to curb the “menace” of illegal vending in the city, despite its October 23 order when it ordered that the stretch between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and High Court (HC) to be kept “completely unauthorized without vendors” till November 12.

“The entire city is covered with illegal vendors – no road, no lane, no space has been spared…Despite police personnel being stationed at every place, the illegal vendors are still coming back,” a division bench formed of Justices AS Gadkari. and Kamal Khata said, stressing the need to curb illegal sales in the city beyond the 20 areas identified by the BMC as a test case, including extending the CSMT to the HC.

The judges, who were hearing a public interest litigation against the illegal sale, pointed out the ineffectiveness of existing enforcement measures and urged the BMC and the police to synchronize their actions more effectively. When BMC officials said they had demolished unlicensed structures, removed pushcarts and stationed officers at key locations like Horniman Circle to curb illegal sales, the court insisted that this was only part of the solution and stressed the need for a “quid pro quo”. arrangement.

The State Councilor highlighted the measures taken since 2016 to more consistently apply street vendor regulations. He said that areas like Colaba Causeway, a popular tourist destination, required extra vigilance due to heavy influx of foreign tourists. The unauthorized vendor disrupted foot traffic, affected store accessibility and led to an increase in petty crime in the area, he noted. The court then reminded the state that extra care is needed in such high-traffic areas to protect both visitors and local businesses.

While the court expressed its concern over the re-emergence of unauthorized vendors in busy areas, soon after the enforcement officers left the place, the petitioner’s counsel proposed the formation of an interim committee to conduct surveys and collect comprehensive data about the vendors licensed and unlicensed. The court also asked the BMC to devise a mechanism to enable vendors with expired licenses to reapply effectively, ensuring that legitimate vendors are not penalized amid the crackdown.

The court adjourned the matter to December 12, saying that without dedicated and unified action by the BMC and the police, public safety issues and disruption caused by unauthorized vending would continue.