The Right to life and personal liberty guaranteed in Article 19 of the Constitution of India recognises individuals' right to earn their livelihood. A significant portion of people contribute substantially to the urban informal economy work either as daily wage earners or as street vendors. Although they contribute significantly to the economy, these workers are exposed to high financial instability and a lack of social and policy protections. In the pretext of beautification of cities or smart city projects, many a time these street vendors are treated as a nuisance and often face eviction. The present paper challenges faced by the footloose self-employed workers in the urban-rural economy due to unstable policies and negative perceptions. Further, it identifies the role of civil society organisations in bringing them together, collective bargaining for their right, and changing societal attitudes where they feel secure.