Bengaluru clears 430 km of footpaths, plans new ID cards for street vendors

THe Greater Bengaluru authorization (GBA) on th said it has cleared 430 km of encroachments from Bengaluru's footpaths betwixt July 1 and July 8 as component part of its on-going drive to reclaim pedestrian spaces, while assuring street vendors that they will be issued new identity cards and supported in relocating their businesses.According to a post shared by the GBA on X, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda held a meeting with representatives of the Joint Struggle Committee of Street Vendors on Thursday to discuss concerns over the anti-encroachment drive.Reiterating that pedestrian safety remains the government's top priority, the GBA said in the post that there would be "no compromise" on keeping footpaths free for public use."The government will always stand with the poor. Our intention is that street vendors in Bengaluru should continue to earn their livelihoods. At the same time, we are complying with the Supreme Court's directions by removing all encroachments from pedestrian pathways," the post said.Also Read: Bengaluru’s new development minister is everywhere. Is Krishna Byre Gowda’s entry too late to save the city? 430 km of footpaths reclaimedGBA said 430 km of encroachments had been cleared across the city as of Wednesday, adding that the exercise would continue on a sustained basis.Seeking the cooperation of vendors, the GBA said they need not operate from footpaths along Bengaluru's 1,500 km of major roads, where pedestrian movement must remain unobstructed. Instead, it said, there is ample scope for vending on the remaining 80-90 per cent of ward roads, where the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) would extend full support.The post also clarified that the drive is not limited to street vendors. Authorities are removing all forms of encroachments on footpaths, including shop extensions, petty shops, pushcarts, canopies, staircases, ramps, barricades, advertisement boards, signboards, and temporary as well as permanent sheds.According to the GBA, in the next phase, the government will also remove other obstructions on footpaths, including illegal parking and gardens, to ensure continuous and accessible walkways across the city.Addressing concerns raised by vendors, the GBA said the government would implement the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act and comply with Supreme Court directions regarding the protection of vendors' rights.ID cards of street vendors?The post further said the Supreme Court had directed authorities to issue new identity cards to eligible street vendors and that officials had been instructed to expedite their distribution."The government stands with the poor, but pedestrian paths must remain accessible. We will follow both the Supreme Court's directions and the law governing street vendors," the post said.The meeting was attended by former Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Gowda, BBMP Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, Law Department head Chandrashekar Patil, Assistant Commissioner Murali, and representatives of various street vendors' associations.