Kozhikode traders plan march against street vendors outside designated zones

Traders affiliated with the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti have announced a protest against unauthorised street vending in areas outside zones designated by local self-government institutions in Kozhikode. The association’s district committee will march to the Kozhikode Corporation office at 10 a.m. on October 6.

The march will be followed by a dharna, or sit-in protest, demanding action against vendors operating outside approved locations. The protest follows a call from the organisation’s state committee. KVVES has warned that the agitation could be extended to other municipal corporations and gram panchayats if its demands are not addressed.

The traders’ body says street vending in front of commercial establishments and on roads is affecting small businesses that operate legally. Its members argue that shopkeepers pay rent, licence fees, GST and professional tax, while unauthorised vendors do not face comparable obligations. According to the association, vending near shops has already reduced business and, in some cases, left traders facing the possibility of closing their establishments.

It wants street vending confined to areas identified by local bodies under the Street Vendors Act and has called for vendors outside those areas to be removed immediately. The traders have also announced opposition to a proposal to impose a Merchant Discount Rate on UPI transactions above ₹2,000. They plan to boycott UPI payments on October 15.

On the same day, merchants will hold a march and dharna to Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram. The action over digital-payment charges will form part of the wider protest programme announced by the association.