Bengaluru, June 29: The Karnataka Government will launch a city-wide ‘Safe Footpath Campaign’ across the five civic corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) from July 1, with Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda directing officials to carry out a systematic and legally compliant drive to remove encroachments from pedestrian footpaths while safeguarding the rights of street vendors.
Chairing a virtual review meeting on Sunday, the minister instructed officials to prepare a comprehensive action plan before launching the campaign. He stressed that the anti-encroachment exercise must strictly adhere to the Supreme Court’s directions and the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act.
Survey, Awareness and Notices Before Action
Byre Gowda said authorities should first identify and prepare a list of roads where encroachment removal will be undertaken. This should be followed by extensive awareness campaigns among shop owners, traders and residents.
Only after issuing notices and providing sufficient opportunity for voluntary compliance should officials proceed with enforcement measures in accordance with the law, he said.
Multi-Department Coordination
The minister directed that the operation be carried out in coordination with municipal officials, health officers responsible for issuing trade licences, police personnel for security, and dedicated encroachment removal teams to ensure smooth implementation.
1,500 km of Roads to be Declared Non-Vending Zones
The government also plans to notify major arterial and sub-arterial roads as Non-Vending Zones.
Officials were instructed to identify nearly 1,500 kilometres of roads out of Bengaluru’s approximately 15,000 kilometres of road network as non-vending corridors. These roads will be kept free of street vending to facilitate safe pedestrian movement and improve traffic flow.
Street Vendors to Continue Business Elsewhere
The minister clarified that the campaign is not intended to deprive street vendors of their livelihood.
Except on roads officially notified as Non-Vending Zones, vendors will continue to be allowed to conduct business, provided they do not obstruct pedestrians or inconvenience the public.
“There is ample opportunity for street vendors to earn their livelihood in the city. Only designated Non-Vending Zones will be kept free of vending activities,” he said.
Public Awareness Drive Before Enforcement
Byre Gowda directed civic bodies to undertake extensive public outreach before commencing the drive. Awareness programmes should be organised on roads identified for the campaign, informing traders and residents about the proposed action.
Officials should also clearly communicate that encroachments not removed voluntarily after notice would be cleared by the authorities, with penalties imposed as per law.
Simultaneous Footpath Repairs Ordered
The minister instructed civic authorities to simultaneously repair damaged footpaths wherever encroachment removal is undertaken.
He directed officials to prioritise pedestrian safety by replacing damaged slabs, repairing kerbs and completing necessary civil works immediately after the clearance drive so that citizens have safe and obstruction-free walkways.
The review meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Girinath, Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, municipal commissioners Ramesh D.S., Pommal Sunil Kumar, G. Jagadeesh, Ramesh K.N., and Dr. Rajendra K.V., Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Karthik Reddy, along with additional commissioners and other senior officials.
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