The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has removed more than 150 street vendors from New Road Gate, Sundhara, Ason and Indra Chowk in the past two days. 

The KMC’s city police deployed in the area on Tuesday and Wednesday removed the street vendors and confiscated their items as part of the metropolis’ announcement of making the footpaths pedestrian-friendly. 

Bishnu Prasad Joshi, chief of city police, said the metropolis is has intensified it work to rid street vendors from the footpaths.  “We are going to adopt strict measures in view of the festive season when people’s rush in the marketplaces is high,” said Joshi. 

The confiscated goods are stored at the KMC and will be returned after 35 days.  

Currently, the KMC has 125 cops under its city police while 67 new recruits are being trained. They are all set to join city police after Dashain, according to Joshi. 

In the last fiscal year, the metropolis has detained around 1,500 people for selling goods on footpaths and overhead bridges. 

Street vendors have accused the metropolis of robbing them of their means of livelihood.