On Monday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took a significant step towards finalizing a long-awaited food truck policy by instructing its central purchase department to float tenders inviting bids for round-the-clock food trucks serving all types of cooked food in the city. This decision has been long overdue and comes after the food truck policy had been put on hold since 2021. The food truck policy aims to provide employment opportunities to the less fortunate and also meet the increasing demand for affordable street food in Mumbai.

As per the policy, the civic body has set a cap of 50 food trucks that can operate in the city. Seven trucks are allowed in six of the seven zones, while one truck is permitted to operate in the seventh zone. This cap is expected to ensure that there is a fair distribution of food trucks across the city and to prevent overcrowding in specific areas.

An official said, “There was a committee formed under the additional municipal commissioner which had the fire, health, license and various other department chiefs on it. Following everyone’s recommendations and suggestions, the policy has been drafted.”

“These food trucks are required to prepare food in hygienic conditions and these will be checked by a monitoring committee periodically at the ward-level.”

Hotelier Niranjan Shetty, member of the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR), said, “As hoteliers, we are made to get a slew of permissions before we begin operations. This policy would allow anyone to operate a food business along the road.”

To maintain fair competition, the tenders will be open to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria, and the bids will be awarded based on the highest bid. The food trucks will be allowed to operate round-the-clock, providing customers with access to affordable and hygienic street food at all times.

However, there are some limitations imposed by the policy. According to the rules, food trucks cannot operate within 200 meters of an existing restaurant. This is to prevent the food truck operators from unfairly competing with established restaurants.

Furthermore, the food truck operators can only set up their trucks in a location after obtaining approval from a monitoring committee at the ward-level. If there are objections from local residents, then the food truck operators cannot set up their trucks in that location.

The officials in charge have stressed that food truck owners will need to obtain all the necessary permits and licenses before they can start their business. This is to ensure that the food being served is of good quality, hygienic, and safe for consumption.

The BMC has been considering the food truck policy for quite some time now, with the aim of providing employment opportunities to the weaker sections of the society. Last year, several corporators, mostly from the Shiv Sena party, had requested the BMC to distribute food trucks purchased with BMC funds. However, the planning department rejected the idea in October 2021, citing the lack of a comprehensive policy for food trucks in the city.

The food truck policy is a positive step towards providing employment opportunities and affordable street food to the citizens of Mumbai. With the tendering process now underway, it remains to be seen how the food truck business in Mumbai will shape up in the coming years.