Street vendor zones enforced after 33 years

Over 220 standardised carts to be issued in first phase across five major city roads

FAISALABAD:

The Metropolitan Corporation Faisalabad (MCF) has begun implementing long-pending recommendations from the 1992 Master Plan and the 1997 Traffic Management Plan, formally recognising designated zones for street vendors after more than three decades.

The move marks the first practical step toward regulating mobile street vending—an issue repeatedly highlighted in earlier development plans but never executed.

According to Anwar Moeenuddin, former town planner at the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA), the 1992 master plan prepared under then Commissioner Tasneem Noorani had proposed exclusive street vendor zones and street bazaars aimed at supporting low-income businesses and improving traffic flow.

However, he said the proposals "remained confined to the shelves of FDA's offices" due to a lack of funds and administrative interest.

He added that traffic surveys conducted at the time had identified more than 700 cart owners operating across the city, yet successive governments failed to implement the recommendations.

Chief Officer MC Faisalabad, Murtaza Malik, told The Express Tribune that the Municipal Corporation has now issued notices directing all cart vendors to submit their old carts and receive newly designed model carts free of cost.

Vendors will be required to operate strictly within government-designated model cart markets.

He warned that after December 15, any cart found operating on main roads will be confiscated without exception.

Awareness banners have been placed across major city routes to ensure all vendors are informed about cart submission and mandatory registration.

Malik said the move aims to help mobile vendors earn their livelihood in an organised, safe, and legally designated environment.

He added that 220 model carts have been prepared in the first phase for distribution on five major roads: Satyana Road, Sheikhupura Road, Jaranwala Road, Sargodha Road, and Jhang Road. Distribution to registered vendors will be completed by January 2026.

Further phases will cover additional roads and link streets citywide.

He said vendors must submit copies of their CNICs along with an affidavit to complete the mandatory registration process.

The initiative is being hailed as a long-overdue step toward balancing economic inclusion with improved traffic management in Faisalabad.