BENGALURU: After allegations that the vendors have been evicted without giving any notice, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that they have been given three months’ notice.
He shared a media byte of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on March 20, when he held the Bengaluru Development portfolio, announcing that arterial and subarterial roads will be cleared of all encroachments to ensure pedestrian movement. Byre Gowda said that the government had given a three-month notice.
“This decision was made in an all-party meeting on March 20.The suggestion was made by several MLAs.The matter was discussed and was unanimously supported by all MLAs and MPs of all parties. All present raised their hands to support the resolution. Government has consulted elected representatives and officials,” the minister said.
Byre Gowda reviewed the progress of the ongoing Safe Footpath Campaign,stating that approximately 141 kilometres of encroached footpaths had already been cleared during the first two days of the drive.
He reiterated that the campaign presently covers only around 20 per cent of Bengaluru’s arterial and sub-arterial road network,where pedestrian movement is the highest, while commercial activity and street vending can continue on the remaining roads in accordance with the law.
Emphasising that pedestrian safety remains the government’s foremost priority, he noted that hundreds of pedestrians lose their lives in road accidents every year after being forced onto carriageways because footpaths are blocked or unusable.
“The objective is not to affect livelihoods but to ensure that every citizen can walk safely. Public safety and public rights must remain paramount,” he said.
The minister added that the initiative is being implemented in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court and also reflects the unanimous view expressed by elected representatives across political parties that Bengaluru’s busiest roads must provide safe and obstruction-free pedestrian movement.