The decision by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to waive market fees for women vendors belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes operating in GMC-leased markets will provide financial relief to women vendors belonging to these communities. The persistent problem of street vendors encroaching upon the city’s footpaths and blocking the free movement of pedestrians remaining unaddressed points towards unbalanced priorities of the GMC authorities. Inordinate delay on the part of the GMC authorities to create a dedicated vending zone for street vendors has compounded the problem as the number of street vendors continues to rise. The rising demand for vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, garments, household goods, fast food, etc., to cater to the requirements of the increasing population in the city, is a key driver behind the rise in street vendors. The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVAnidhi) facilitating fast and easy access to microcredit for street vendors is also another key driver behind the rise in their numbers in the city. Ironically, the establishment of a dedicated vending zone for street vendors to clear the footpaths for obstruction-free movement of pedestrians continues to be illusory for the city residents. The GMC authorities attribute the delay to a dearth of adequate space for the establishment of the dedicated vending zones even after the identification of 81 dedicated zones. When land availability is not an issue for large projects initiated by government and private entities in the city, the GMC’s reason behind the delay in the establishment of a dedicated vending zone is not convincing enough for city residents. Street vendors occupying the footpaths or sidewalks force pedestrians to walk along the carriageway, which adds to traffic congestion as it slows down the traffic moving behind them. Besides, parking of vehicles by people buying goods from street vendors reduces space for vehicular movement. Some people are also seen stopping at multiple locations along busy roads to buy goods from street vendors, compounding the traffic woes and also posing hurdles for pedestrians compelled to walk on the road. A rapidly growing city like Guwahati ignoring the problems faced by pedestrians and vehicle owners for long periods makes the city unliveable and unsustainable. The city grappling with this problem despite the availability of a solution – the establishment of a dedicated vending zone in this case – is a paradox that baffles the residents. The goods sold by street vendors are indispensable even though such a range of goods is now also available online or supplied by market aggregators from their e-groceries. However, factors like buyers preferring direct interaction with street vendors for personalised shopping, price negotiation, and instant buying are some key advantages which have helped street vending to thrive despite the comfort of ordering goods with smartphones and getting the purchased goods delivered to home or some market aggregators providing quick service of delivering within ten minutes. Urban planning incorporating such market dynamics shaped by consumers’ demands and preferences is critical to helping the city to grow as an inclusive city by ensuring that it caters to the requirements of different sections of the population by facilitating the distribution and availability of goods according to their choice. Dedicated vending zones can cater to the requirements of city residents and, at the same time, keep the sidewalks free for obstruction-free movement of pedestrians and faster movement of vehicles. Delinking street vending from the problem and solutions of traffic congestion in Guwahati will continue to render those solutions ineffective. The problem of street vending, therefore, requires a holistic approach with the involvement of traffic police, the transport department, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, the Guwahati Development Department, and Guwahati Smart City Limited and must not be left a problem to be solved by GMC alone. For this to happen, the GMC has to take the lead and coordinate with all relevant departments and stakeholders so that the dedicated vending zones are identified through a consultative process and various stakeholders point out challenges with regard to a particular dedicated vending zone and also suggest alternative sites or retrofitting solutions to the identified zone. The city residents are the primary stakeholders of street vending, as they patronise it for their own requirements. Involving the representatives of the residents in various consultation processes can enable the GMC authorities to overcome space constraints, as the residents will be keen to help the authorities identify suitable locations and spaces that facilitate street vendors and, at the same time, do not give rise to any problems for pedestrians and vehicular traffic. If the problem of pedestrians and vehicle owners continues to persist or worsen due to unplanned and unauthorised street vending, then they will not be keen to come up with pragmatic suggestions for considerations of the GMC authorities. The problem of street vending needs to be relooked at from the perspectives of new challenges of urban planning that are interconnected and layered. The city having dedicated vending zones at ideal locations is an urgent priority.