Bengaluru Footpath Clearance Drive Launches July 1; GBA to Free 2,000 km of Roads

Bengaluru, June 30: Today marks the final deadline for clearing footpath encroachments in Bengaluru city. A massive operation is set to commence from July 1 across the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and five municipal corporations.

Urban Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has already conducted two rounds of meetings and issued strict instructions to officials that the operation must not be stopped under any circumstances. All encroachments — except those belonging to licensed vendors — will be cleared.

The Supreme Court has previously stated that footpaths are the right of the common people and must be reserved exclusively for pedestrian use.

Officials have made preparations to remove a wide range of encroachment types, including:

• Illegal parking
• Street-side trading
• Storage of construction materials
• Abandoned vehicles

Street vendors, meanwhile, are demanding that the government provide alternative arrangements before the drive begins. However, GBA has made a firm decision with no room for compromise, resolving to clear footpaths along 2,000 kilometres of major roads across the city.