Mumbai: BMC’s ‘Pedestrian First’ Drive Faces Criticism Over Action Against QR-Coded Hawkers

Mumbai, August 14, 2026: A drive meant to put pedestrians first is now facing questions over its execution. With the BMC intensifying its anti-encroachment action, corporators across party lines have alleged that the crackdown on hawkers is arbitrary and uneven, with ward-level implementation drawing sharp criticism.

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Corporators at Friday’s BMC Standing Committee meeting appreciated the ‘Pedestrian First’ initiative but expressed reservations over its implementation on the ground. The members specifically questioned the enforcement action against hawkers holding QR-coded identity cards issued by the civic body.

Corporators Question QR-Code Action

Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Deepmala Bhade questioned why the BMC was taking action against hawkers despite issuing them QR-coded identity cards.

“If these cards were issued in our presence, what was the point of distributing them if the same hawkers are now being penalised?” she asked.

BJP corporator Sheetal Gambir said hawkers occupying excessive space should first be asked to scale back their encroachments rather than face repeated penalties.

BJP corporator Makarand Narvekar said there was a clear intent at the BMC’s top level to make Mumbai more pedestrian-friendly, but alleged that the urgency was not reflected among officials on the ground. Congress corporator Tulip Miranda questioned the utility of QR-coded IDs, saying they offered little protection to hawkers.

BMC Defends Enforcement Drive

Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajakta Lavangare Verma said ward officials had been instructed to identify and clear priority footpaths, particularly those around schools, hospitals and metro stations, to ensure uninterrupted pedestrian movement.

Rejecting allegations of selective action, she said the BMC was uniformly targeting unauthorised hawkers. The civic body has also set up an enforcement dashboard to track drives across wards, with officials required to regularly record and update details of the action taken.

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Mumbai: BMC Intensifies ‘Pedestrian First’ Drive In Mulund, Removes 40 Monsoon Shelters, 30 Hawkers And 8 Illegal Shops

Street Vending Scheme Preparations

Meanwhile, the BMC has accelerated preparations for implementing the state government’s street vending scheme, with Mayor Ritu Tawde directing officials to complete all ward-level groundwork to ensure its immediate rollout once the scheme is notified.

Of the 99,435 surveyed vendors, 57,697 have been issued QR code-based IDs. Verification of pending applications found 3,950 deceased applicants, while 37,788 either did not respond or could not be reached. The BMC said August 31 is the final deadline for ID distribution.

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