Bengaluru: Repair work has begun on a damaged stretch of footpath on Subroto Mukherjee Road at Jalahalli Cross, days after TOI highlighted the safety hazard faced by pedestrians. Workers began replacing displaced concrete slabs along the footpath near the junction of Tumakuru Road and SM Road, a busy location where several commuters alight from buses and walk towards Jalahalli West and surrounding areas.Workers at the site told TOI that the repairs were taken up following directions from Dasarahalli MLA S Muniraju. A supervisor with the contractor said the damaged pavement would be restored and new slabs laid over a 100-metre stretch.
Even as the work was underway, engineers of the Bengaluru West City Corporation (BWCC) said they were unaware that repairs had been initiated. The road forms the boundary between the Bengaluru North and West City Corporations and also separates the Dasarahalli and Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituencies. Officials from the Bengaluru North City Corporation said the damaged footpath falls under the West City Corporation’s jurisdiction.TOI had reported on Friday that several large footpath slabs had shifted from their original position, making the pavement unusable. Pedestrians were forced to step onto the carriageway to get past the damaged section, exposing them to fast-moving traffic. Given the presence of a busy bus stop at the junction, many commuters were left walking on the road immediately after alighting from buses.The repairs come amid a broader focus on improving pedestrian infrastructure in the city following recent initiatives to reclaim and restore footpaths across Bengaluru.
