Cops shut down fast food joints on key city stretches

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capitals thriving street food culture, which has become a key part of nightlife in areas such as Sasthamangalam, Vellayambalam and Vazhuthacaud, is facing curbs and eviction following intervention by the police. There are over 100 food joints, including trucks and makeshift stalls, operating along these stretches serving budget-friendly meals for the public. Despite repeated demands, the city corporation has failed to designate street vending zones in the capital. According to officials, unauthorised food operators are mushrooming in the streets of the capital because of lack of enforcement. Food prices in restaurants are skyrocketing and these street food vendors offer budget-friendly meals for the public, especially for students and youngsters. Instead of shutting down food trucks and joints, they should allow them to operate. Most of the days we depend on these outlets for dining, said Vinod K, who works at a private firm. According to Museum police, they have shut down all street food outlets on the Vellayambalam-Sasthamangalam stretch. We have served more notices to food vendors in the Edappazhinji-Vazhuthacaud stretch. We took action following instruction from our higher authorities. There have been plenty of complaints regarding encroachment of roads and pathways by these food vendors, said the official. The street vendors who have invested lakhs on these food trucks have landed in deep trouble and are hoping for positive intervention from the state government. Shahul Hameed, district president of the Food Truck Owners Samiti, said that they have decided to take it up with the Chief Minister. Hundreds of people are working in this segment and they all are out of work because of this action from the police. The government has always taken a stand to protect the street vendors. We will be taking up this matter with the chief ministers office and hoping that we will be able to resume operations immediately, said Shahul Hameed. He said that the residents associations who are raising these complaints dont care about the livelihood of hundreds of people. MLA V K Prasanth said that street food vendors encroaching public roads cannot be entertained in every stretch in the capital. We have discussed this issue in the recent district development committee and unchecked vending is not ideal for the capital. Many youngsters are venturing into this business without getting license or registration. There should be some kind of regulation, said V K Prasanth. He said that the city corporation has identified 125 vending zones in many parts of the capital. The town vending committee at the corporation will soon take necessary action and shift all authorised vendors to designated zones and free up the streets, he added.