In comparison with other footpaths in the city, the condition of footpaths in K R Road is no different. However, pedestrians still complain about the unevenness of the pavements and fret over encroachment issues. Hawkers and vendors have occupied most of the stretch here, thereby, leaving little or absolutely no space for pedestrians. Moreover, vehicles are parked on the footpaths all the time. To top it all, coconut and vegetable vendors selling stuff on push carts are a common sight here. Most of these carts are parked on broken slabs. Speaking about the inconvenience they cause, Charulatha Iyer, a resident said, “This has become a nuisance. Pedestrians do not have footpaths to walk on here. Instead, we are forced to walk on roads which can get quite dangerous as they really narrow. Despite repeated complains, the Corporator has not taken any action to better the situation.”Also, small restaurants and hotels have used these footpaths as their parking lot. Despite several complaints, no action has been taken so far. “Though roads are extremely narrow, the authorities have allowed car owners to park their vehicles here. This issue has led to fights here on several occasions,” said Palguni Raghavendra, another resident. In fact, as you walksfurther down the lane, you can see garages utilising footpaths as their workspace.
Despite repeated calls, corporator N R Ramesh was not available for any comments.