BENGALURU: It’s that time of the year when Namma Bengaluru dresses up — streets glow, music spills, and walk-in streets flaunt a city made more for people than vehicles. With Church Street setting the tone, Indiranagar joined the festive script this month, turning urban corridors into pedestrian retreats with its walk-in street culture.
But once the lights dim and the nights go dark, a familiar question returns: Is Bengaluru truly walkable beyond these short-lived illusions of accessibility? Evidently not.
Minati Misra Ambarish, a Bengaluru resident who owns a property with her husband on Church Street since 2001, illustrated the “intolerable” condition of the city’s footpaths, despite the way walk-in street activities create a deceptive image of accessibility for residents. “There’s no space. It is impossible to walk on footpaths. And even if you manage to find some space, you will find a biker heading towards you on the pavement,” she said, perfectly capturing the daily reality of Bangaloreans. “Broken slabs and garbage spilling out of their bags on to the footpath... it’s horrible,” she added.
Vijayashekar Ravi Deepam, vice-president of Bangalore Trades Association, highlighted the alarming condition of the city caused by illegal encroachment of footpaths by unauthorised vendors. “There’s no safety, especially for women. They need to squeeze between people on these narrow footpaths,” he said, talking about key points like Brigade Road, MG Road and Church Street, that have become unsafe for pedestrians.
Some believe the very notion of walking has changed these days. Speaking from her deep love for nature and the charm of old MG Road, Mary Josephine, a resident for the past 37 years, reflected on how “walking and jogging in Bengaluru doesn’t feel the same anymore”. She says, “It was very nice and calm back then. Now everything is commercial. MG Road was full of trees and plants. Now you will see more of quick-commerce agents with their vehicles on the footpath than people walking to enjoy the space.”
She emphasised that adapting and evolving are essential in times like these. While walking can remain a part of daily life, it now requires greater caution and attentiveness.
These issues are not confined to the city’s core. Beyond the central areas, the situation worsens across Bengaluru, with stretches like Bannerghatta Road, Whitefield, Sarjapur and Ejipura continuing to suffer from poorly maintained footpaths. Construction debris, broken slabs and illegal encroachments turn footpaths into obstacle courses that pedestrians are forced to navigate.