BENGALURU: Small vendors evicted from Bengaluru’s KR Market to make way for a new parking lot say they have been left without a means to earn a livelihood, as the Bengaluru Central City Corporation (BCCC) is yet to allot the alternative vending spaces it had promised.
Flower vendors said that they are the worst affected as they do not have a place for the business. The vendors said they had been selling goods from small stalls and pushcarts. But these have now been removed as part of an encroachment clearance drive to make way for the new parking lot, leaving them without a place to earn a living.
Some evicted small traders told TNIE that the problem started after the new parking system was opened. Many vendors termed the eviction sudden, carried out without providing any alternative. “We have been here for years.
Suddenly, stating that we are blocking the paths to the market and the way to the parking lot is cruel. They evicted us within a day. How are we supposed to run our lives now?” asked Rajeev R, a flower vendor.
Some traders said they are not doing any business and are hoping that BCCC will allocate a dedicated space to them.
The traffic police at the market said clearing encroachments has helped reduce overcrowding and traffic, especially around the flower market. Traffic movement and pedestrian safety have improved in certain stretches, but long-term results will depend on proper parking discipline and planned spaces, they added.
“Footpaths and market roads should be cleared for walking, and vendors should carry out their business only in designated spots. Better planning is needed to manage the traffic,” said the customers.