TRICHY: Two years after the Trichy Corporation floated the idea of dedicated food streets to regulate mobile food vendors without disrupting traffic, the proposal remains in limbo. Meanwhile, a surge in food trucks across the city has worsened congestion on vital roads, prompting complaints from residents and intervention by city police.
Post-Covid, food trucks have mushroomed across all five city zones — with each zone now hosting 5–10 food joints. Their number has now crossed 100. As narrow lanes are unsuitable, vendors have shifted to wider roads such as West Boulevard Road, Major Saravanan Road, Williams Road, Thillai Nagar Main Road, Sastri Road, and SBI Road — many of which are critical public transport corridors.
Trichy police note that illegal parking near food stalls has rendered up to 30% of road space unusable, aggravating night-time traffic snarls. “We’ve asked vendors to relocate to low-traffic zones, but lack of enforcement has kept them in key spots,” a traffic official told TOI.
Encroachments, including gas stoves on pavements and traffic violations near stalls, have angered locals. In areas like West Boulevard Road near Ibrahim Park, residents say permanent occupation of parking areas by vendors is common. “Relocate these outlets to designated zones,” said Pushpak Jain, a Jaffershah Street resident.
Despite two eviction drives in the last nine months, the corporation hasn’t maintained consistent action. Members of civic groups like TIDES are calling for vacant spaces to be repurposed as food hubs.
Mayor Mu Anbalagan said fund constraints have slowed progress. “We’ve identified suitable locations and will seek support under government schemes to develop the necessary infrastructure,” he said.