Street Vendors Act, 2014 | Sections 15, 16 and 17

Cleanliness, Civic Amenities and Maintenance Charges under the Street Vendors Act

Sections 15, 16 and 17 of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 prescribe three duties for street vendors: maintaining cleanliness and public hygiene, preserving civic amenities and public property, and paying maintenance charges determined by the local authority. These duties operate alongside the protections and vending rights provided elsewhere in the Act.

Meaning of important terms under the Act

Street vendor: Under Section 2(1)(l), a person engaged in vending articles, goods, wares, food items or merchandise of everyday use or offering services to the general public in a street, lane, sidewalk, footpath, pavement, public park or other public place or private area, from a temporary built-up structure or by moving from place to place, including hawkers, peddlers and similar vendors.

Vending zone: Under Section 2(1)(n), an area or place designated as such by the local authority on the recommendations of the Town Vending Committee for use by street vendors, including footpaths, sidewalks, pavements, embankments, portions of streets, waiting areas and other areas considered suitable for vending.

Local authority: Section 2(1)(c) broadly covers municipal bodies and other authorities entrusted with civic services and the regulation of street vending, including the planning authority where applicable.

Section 15: Maintenance of cleanliness and public hygiene

Section 15 requires every street vendor to maintain cleanliness and public hygiene in vending zones and adjoining areas. The duty is not limited to the precise spot occupied by the vendor.

In practical terms, vendors should keep their vending space and immediate surroundings clean, collect and dispose of waste appropriately, and avoid practices that create unsanitary conditions. The precise operational requirements may also be governed by applicable municipal rules, bye-laws and the local street-vending scheme.

Section 16: Maintenance of civic amenities in good condition

Section 16 requires every street vendor to maintain civic amenities and public property in the vending zone in good condition. A vendor must not damage or destroy them or cause damage or destruction.

This duty covers the proper treatment of shared public infrastructure, such as paving, drains, public utilities and facilities provided in vending zones. It does not mean that the vendor automatically becomes responsible for constructing or repairing all municipal infrastructure; the statutory obligation is to maintain and avoid damaging the amenities and property.

Section 17: Payment of maintenance charges

Under Section 17, every street vendor must pay periodic maintenance charges for the civic amenities and facilities provided in vending zones, as determined by the local authority.

The central Act does not fix a uniform nationwide amount or payment interval. The applicable charges should therefore be checked against the determination or notification of the relevant local authority. Maintenance charges are distinct from the vending fees addressed by Section 8.

How the three sections work together

Cleanliness: Keep the vending zone and adjoining area hygienic (Section 15).
Public facilities: Maintain civic amenities and public property without damaging them (Section 16).
Charges: Pay the periodic maintenance charges determined by the local authority for facilities provided (Section 17).

These obligations should be read with the street vendor's right to conduct vending in accordance with the certificate under Section 12, and with the applicable rules, schemes and bye-laws of the State or Union territory.

Official legal resources

For state-specific fees, waste-management standards, and vending-zone requirements, consult the rules, scheme, bye-laws and notices of the competent local authority.