Bombay High Court Orders BMC to Clear Unlicensed Hawkers from Colaba Causeway

The Bombay High Court has instructed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to remove unlicensed hawkers from Colaba Causeway by April 7. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, follows a hearing where the BMC revealed that only 83 of the roughly 250 hawkers on the popular South Mumbai shopping strip hold valid licenses. The order stems from a dispute pitting the Colaba Causeway Tourism Hawkers Stall Union, which claims legal vending rights under the 2014 Street Vendors Act, against the Clean Heritage Colaba Residential Association, which demands action against unauthorized vendors clogging the 1.5-kilometer tourist hub.

The court’s directive came after it questioned the hawkers’ union about the 170 plus unlicensed members, urging them to vacate voluntarily or face consequences at the next hearing. Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata also hinted at merging the case with a wider public interest litigation on Mumbai’s hawking issues. The residents’ group cited a 2014 BMC survey allowing only 79 hawkers on Shahid Bhagat Singh Road Colaba Causeway’s official name and 19 more in nearby lanes, arguing that illegal vendors disrupt pedestrian access.

The legal tussle traces back to January when the Supreme Court paused evictions after the union appealed a prior Bombay High Court dismissal. On March 3, the apex court extended the stay and returned the case to the high court, which now mandates swift BMC action. The ruling highlights Mumbai’s ongoing struggle to balance livelihoods and public order, with the April 7 deadline looming large over this iconic street’s future.