Key Feature of PM’s New Policy       Let the laws of market demand and supply determine the number of vendors and rickshaws in the city rather than bureaucratic quotas.   The metropolis may be divided into “green”, “amber” and “red” zones, free access, fee based access and prohibited access, respectively.   There must be an absolute prohibition on municipal and police authorities from impounding, or destruction, or seizure, of goods and equipment, except when permitted under other laws.   Any person who wishes to be a street hawker may do so by a simple act of registration involving two steps: (a) reliable identification by any means and (b) payment of a nominal fee to cover costs for issue of a photo identification card.   Purpose of the registration is to provide reliable identification for the purposes noted above. It is not a permit to ply the trade. No such permit is needed.   A registered street hawker who wishes to operate in “amber” zone, may do so by paying a fee, upon which a sticker to the effect may be affixed on the registration id.   Numbers of street hawkers/cycle rickshaws in the “amber” zones may be regulated by adjustment of the amount of fee periodically. Penalties for plying in an “amber” zone without payment of fee may involve a financial penalty, in addition to the fee but in any case there must be an absolute prohibition on municipal and police authorities from impounding, or destruction, or seizure of goods and equipment.   The hawking fee may be scaled to different categories of street hawkers, e.g. those pushing carts or those using pedaled vehicles.Thus the number of vendors to be regulated by increasing the license fee rather than putting an unrealistic artificial ceiling on the numbers that can operate in the city.   Non-government organisations with a record of working for the welfare of these groups may be authorized to interface between them and the concerned authorities.   24