One year after the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) was created, Bengaluru’s civic administration is facing a crucial test. The GBA was introduced with promises of better coordination, faster decision-making and governance closer to citizens. But on the ground, many of Bengaluru’s familiar civic problems remain — potholes, broken footpaths, garbage management, unauthorised constructions, setback violations and delays in resolving public complaints. The transition has also raised concerns over staffing, administrative restructuring and the delay in restoring elected local representatives across Bengaluru’s five corporations.
While the government says the GBA has laid the foundation for more efficient and proactive governance, civic activists argue that the transition has caused administrative confusion and affected routine civic work. At the same time, Bengaluru is preparing for new traffic restrictions on several major flyovers and elevated corridors, raising another question: are these measures solving the city’s problems, or simply shifting them elsewhere?