Provisional vending certificates authorize mobile vending only in designated zones, excluding declared non-vending areas.

The seven Petitioners were street vendors holding provisional Certificates of Vending (“COVs”) issued by the MCD for vending in Ward No. 102N and Ward No. 99N, subsequently corresponding to Ward No. 141, Rajinder Nagar and Ward No. 89, Karampura, respectively.

The Petitioners sought permission to vend peacefully at sites stated to be allotted to them in and around Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh, Delhi.

The MCD contended that Ajmal Khan Road had been declared a non-squatting/non-hawking zone on account of a pedestrian project and that the Petitioners could not vend there.

By an earlier order dated 29 May 2026, the Court directed that the Petitioners could not be disturbed provided they complied with the terms and conditions of their COVs, and called for an MCD status report.

The MCD subsequently clarified that the Petitioners had not been allotted fixed tehbazari sites and had been issued COVs as mobile vendors.

Whether the Petitioners, holding provisional COVs as mobile vendors, were entitled to vend in the respective vending zones for which their certificates had been issued, subject to the applicable terms and conditions?

Whether the Petitioners could vend on Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh, which had been declared a non-vending/non-squatting zone?

Whether the Petitioners had any right to vend from fixed sites or remain at one location beyond the period prescribed for mobile vendors?

The Court applied the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, together with the applicable Rules and the Delhi Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme, 2019, under which vending must be carried out in accordance with the COV and the conditions prescribed by the Town Vending Committee/local authority.

The COV conditions required vendors to comply with the designated vending zone and vending period, avoid obstructing pedestrians or vehicles, refrain from vending on roads or blocking footpaths, avoid unauthorised activity, and comply with public-health, hygiene and safety requirements.

In particular, mobile vendors could not remain or vend at one place for more than the prescribed period; the applicable period in the present case was 45 minutes.

A COV did not confer a right to vend in a prohibited non-vending zone or create an entitlement to a fixed tehbazari site.

The Court treated the Petitioners’ COVs as authorising mobile vending only within the respective zones for which they had been issued, and not from any fixed site.

Since the MCD’s status report confirmed that no fixed tehbazari sites had been allotted, the Petitioners could not claim a right to vend from particular permanent locations.

At the same time, possession of valid provisional COVs entitled them to carry on vending in their designated zones, provided they complied with the certificate conditions, including the 45-minute limit at any one location.

The Court separately accepted the MCD’s position that Ajmal Khan Road had been declared a non-vending/non-squatting zone.

Consequently, even valid COVs could not authorise vending on that road, and any such activity would amount to illegal squatting in a prohibited area.

They were expressly prohibited from vending on Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh, which was a non-vending zone.

Subject to these directions, the Petitioners’ lawful vending activities were not to be disturbed.

The writ petition was disposed of accordingly, and all pending applications were also disposed of.