Bengaluru Reports 931 Pedestrian Deaths In 3 Years, 700 Injured
Bengaluru has about 18,000 kms of road and the target is about 1,500 km to free footpaths of any sort of encroachments and makes footpaths’ safe for pedestrian use, said the Minister and clarified “It is not a drive against street vendors but to make footpaths safe for pedestrians based on the direction of Supreme Court”
BENGALURU: As many as 931 pedestrians died having met with accidents on roads after they strayed from footpaths owing to obstruction and later knocked down by vehicles in the last 3 years in Bengaluru while 3,800 others injured and another 3,500 suffered minor injuries.
Acting on a direction from the Supreme Court to make footpaths safe for pedestrian use, officials of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) supervised by Minister of Bengaluru Development Krishna Byre Gowda cleared obstructions/encroachment on footpaths in as many as 430 km of main roads across 5 City Corporations falling under GBA in the last 8 days of operation.
The Minister divulged details on the removal obstructions/encroachments on main roads of the city such as 2,200 locations wherein advertisements/ signboards were installed and they have been cleared, rams/steps on footpaths in about 1, 580 locations have been removed while 1,790 locations permanent structures/sheets occupying footpaths have been removed.
Bengaluru has about 18,000 kms of road and the target is about 1,500 km to free footpaths of any sort of encroachments and makes footpaths’ safe for pedestrian use, said the Minister and clarified “It is not a drive against street vendors but to make footpaths safe for pedestrians based on the direction of Supreme Court.”
“I’m ready to become unpopular for the transformation of Bengaluru city. If Bengaluru has to transform then certain stern steps are needed,” said Krishna Byre Gowda after holding a meeting with street vendors association members on removal of encroachments.
The Minister clarified “It is not a step to evict street vendors.” He told the various association members “About 90 percent of the roadside are open for street vendors to sell their products to sustain their families.” Gowda directed GBA officials to distribute Ids for street vendors and also identify the locations for them to conduct their businesses.
