Roadside food stalls in Pune, a concern for many but boon for youngsters 

There are roadside stands all over the city offering a broad range of goods, but the ones that provide hot food at affordable prices are the most well-liked by students.

The majority of these stalls annoy locals by encroaching on sidewalks and being illegal. The PMC regularly conducts drives and demolishes them. But they keep coming back because of their devoted clientele, which includes many college-bound students.

According to a student from Karvenagar, they eat from food stands at least three times a day. It’s a cost-effective choice. If not, they would have to pay a lot more for restaurant meals. They most likely wouldn’t rely on hawkers as much if the hostels offered higher-quality food and improved sanitation.

Similar is the situation in many majority of college areas such as Bharati Vidyapeeth, Model Colony, Bibvewadi, Viman Nagar, J M road, Pimpri, Wakad, Bhandarkar and Law College, Kothrud, etc.  These roadside food and other accessory stalls offer a wide variety of food at a reasonable rate and also offer accessories which are pocket friendly. The student community often finds it reasonable to shop from such places which saves on their pocket money too. 

Legally sanctioned hawker zones established by the PMC attract a large number of illegal stalls due to their high volume of college students.

A few vendors claim that many license holders rent out their spaces to other food cart operators for a higher price, but the majority of stalls are illegal and encroach upon footpaths, creating issues for those who pay monthly rent to the PMC.

According to the owner of a food stall, a lot of stall owners also purchase stores and lease the front area to tea shops or vendors of vada pav. This is now a serious issue. The building owners don’t like them even though they keep the place tidy and pay their rent on time each month.

Even if the authorities remove the food stalls, many students will be left on their own, according to the owner of another food stand. Students make up a sizable portion of their clientele and rely on them. They’ll make room, but will they be able to provide them with a suitable location to sell their goods? If they charge exorbitant rent, they will have to raise their prices, which will drive away college students who prefer to go with less expensive options.

In June of last year, the PMC had driven along Fergusson College Road and cleared out unauthorized stalls. But now they’re all back in their place.