Koramangala’s footpaths are shop, pedestrians walk on road
Footpaths in Koramangala are being used to sell products and vendors have encroached upon the whole footpath leaving no space for pedestrians to walk.
Aashwin
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data Karnataka accounted for the highest number of pedestrian deaths in 2020 i.e. 1,536 cases. Out of these 163 fatalities were reported in Bengaluru which is the second highest among cities after Chennai.
“It’s a mess right now, to walk on the footpath. There are already so many shops. It will be really helpful if the authorities find a designated place for the vendors. It will be really helpful for the pedestrians actually” said Arjuna, a local resident of Koramangala.
Footpath encroachment in Koramangala started with the inflow of migrant laborers in the area. Koramangala is one of the high-end areas of Bengaluru and hence the cost of living is also high. Due to this, these migrant laborers and small business owners cannot afford to rent a place, so they try to sell their products on the footpaths. Apart from this the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBBMP), has also been unsuccessful in maintaining these footpaths.
Harsha Nadagoudar, an urban planner said two things that could end this menace are, eradication of commercial activities on the footpath, and giving space that is cheaper. He also mentions that the BBMP has provided spaces to these vendors, in some areas, but it is not being utilized as most vendors still can’t afford it.
The High Court of Karnataka directed the BBMP to form a grievance redressal committee, to address the needs of the footpath vendors. However the high court on Sept. 19 said that most numbers of the committee have either nine digits or not working.
