03 June,2026 04:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mayor Ritu Tawde. File Pic
Nearly 99,345 eligible street vendors in Mumbai will soon receive QR code-based identity cards as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) moves closer to implementing its hawker rehabilitation policy, Mayor Ritu Tawde announced on Wednesday.
Tawde said the initiative, which will be rolled out from June 10, is part of the civic body's commitment to create designated hawking zones, rehabilitate eligible vendors and streamline the city's street vending system. The QR-enabled licence-cum-identity cards are expected to help regulate vending activities and ensure that benefits reach eligible hawkers.
According to the mayor, the issue was included in her 100-day priority agenda after she assumed office. She reviewed the status of the BMC's hawker policy and pushed for the resolution of pending hurdles, including the formation of Town Vending Committees (TVCs).
Although TVC elections were held in August 2024, the vote-counting process had been stalled due to legal proceedings. Following consultations between the civic body's Licensing and Legal Departments and subsequent court approval, the counting process was completed on March 28, 2026, enabling the formation of the committees.
The BMC is also in the process of appointing non-government members to the committees, with scrutiny of applications currently underway.
Tawde said the Standing Committee has already approved the proposal for issuing QR code-based identity cards, and the distribution process is now in its final stages.
The mayor reiterated that the civic administration would continue working to address hawkers' concerns while ensuring that no eligible vendor is denied the benefits of the rehabilitation policy.
The development comes after a delegation from Shiv Sena (UBT) met Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Monday, urging that the registered hawkers of Mumbai be issued identity cards embedded with QR codes.
The delegation demanded that, in compliance with the Bombay High Court's directives, which prohibit hawking at 20 specific locations, the remaining areas be officially designated as âhawking zones'.
While the delegation demanded that 99,435 hawkers across Mumbai should get QR codes, a senior civic official said there are only a little over 10,000 licensed hawkers in Mumbai. "The figure of 99,435 has been arrived at due to the number of hawkers who filled their forms applying to the Town Vending Committee [TVC] in 2024 for regularisation of their licenses. Once the TVC is operational, the committee can take a call on their licenses," said the official. The Opposition has also demanded that the TVC be formed as soon as possible, as per directives from the High Court.
