

BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka on Monday issued notice to the state government, commissioner of Bengaluru North City Corporation, National Highways Authority of India, and Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation on a public interest litigation filed by T Dasarahalli NH-4 Citizens and Residents’ Welfare Association seeking its directions to take action against unauthorised street vendors on the footpaths of Tumakuru-Bengaluru service road from T Dasarahalli to Jalahalli Cross in the city.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha passed the order after hearing the petition which alleged that pedestrians face inconvenience because of the encroachment of footpaths on the stretch. The pedestrians also face inconvenience because of traffic jams there.
The petitioners alleged that school buses, ambulances and other vehicles get stuck in traffic jams because of blocking of parts of the service road by street vendors. Students and employees struggle daily to reach their schools and offices because of traffic jams, they said, urging the court to issue directions to the government and the corporation to consider their representation submitted on March 2, seeking action to clear footpath encroachment.