Bengaluru: Earthmovers, backhoes and jackhammers tore into illegal constructions on footpaths Wednesday morning as Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) launched its latest campaign to clear city roads of encroachments. Street vendors were asked to move into inner lanes, and parked vehicles, shop extensions and other obstructions were tossed out of prime footpaths meant for pedestrians.Bengaluru development minister Krishna Byre Gowda Wednesday said the city’s ‘Safe Footpaths Campaign’ should become “a people’s movement” to reclaim public spaces for pedestrians. He urged traders, commercial establishments and street vendors to voluntarily clear encroachments. On day one, GBA freed up 76km of city roads and handed them back to pedestrians.The GBA campaign comes amid TOI’s ongoing Walk-o-Meter series, which assesses footpaths across the city for walkability, safety and accessibility. The series has found several stretches encroached upon by vendors, vehicles and shop awnings, forcing pedestrians onto carriageways.At the same time, the minister reaffirmed the state govt’s commitment to protecting the livelihoods of street vendors. “Except on around 20% of priority arterial roads, vending can continue on other roads, provided pedestrian movement is not obstructed,“ he said. “Every resident of Bengaluru has the right to use safe and obstruction-free footpaths. This should not remain merely a govt campaign; it must become a people’s movement driven by public participation,” he said.Across five city corporations, GBA scrubbed some of the key roads which were a nightmare for both pedestrians and motorists. These roads include MG Road, Old Madras Road, Indiranagar’s 100ft Road, Mysore Road, Kempegowda Road, Cunningham Road, Hope Farm Junction-Varthur Kodi, Marathahalli Junction-Ibbalur Junction, ITPL Main Road, Sampige Road in Malleshwaram, Kathriguppe Main Road, Bull Temple Road, Sahakaranagar Railway Parallel Road in Byatarayanapura, Vidyaranyapura Main Road, Banaswadi Main Road in Sarvagnanagar, key roads in Jayanagar, Bommanahalli, Padmanabhanagar, JP Nagar and BTM Layout.Malleswaram alone accounted for 11km of freed-up roads.Petty shops, pushcarts, construction debris, illegal cables, temporary building projections and other encroachments were cleared with support from police and other govt departments. In some locations in many civic zones of Bengaluru, stormwater drain slabs were installed to improve drainage after encroachments were removed.Hotel extensions, vegetable stalls, illegal concrete structures, compound walls and other obstacles blocking pedestrian movement were also demolished in the campaign, which will continue in the coming daysBengaluru North City Corporation removed encroachments from across six assembly constituencies, covering Byatarayanapura, Vidyaranyapura, Sarvagnanagar, Pulikeshinagar, Hebbal and Yelahanka. Civic teams removed street vendors, pushcarts, unauthorised advertisement boards, sheds and other encroachments.
