Hotel assn requests BBMP to allow street vendors to function in closed Indira canteens

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers Association (BBHA) in a letter, has demanded the municipal body regulate street food vendors found across the city for health and hygiene.

In a letter written to BBMP commissioner Tushar Girinath, the association brought notice to the unsanitary conditions in which the street vendors prepare their food and how it is unsafe for consumption as it is openly exposed to insects, dust and many other contaminants.

On the other hand, they have suggested the civic body make alternative arrangements for the street vendors elsewhere, in spaces such as Indira canteens. Most of the street vendors tend to encroach on the footpaths as they do not have an alternative area to carry out their business.

However, this leads to a disruption in pedestrian mobility, leading pedestrians to walk on roads, and increasing the risks of motorist mishaps. Along with this, these vendors tend to use gas cylinders, which are also a safety hazard. Complaints of vendors not cleaning their designated spaces on the footpath have also popped up, resulting in waste management issues.

The association has added that since diseases like cholera and flu are on the rise, increasing food hygiene and safety must be looked at with priority. The BBMP had announced that it would conduct a mandatory training program for street vendors with regard to food quality and safety.

According to the program, the vendors were to be provided with certificates after completing the course, which they had to display over their carts or they would not be allowed to function. However, most of the population of street vendors in the city is unaware of the program.