Vendors spill onto roads, return to old spots after footpath drive

Days after the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) safe footpath drive, a visit by The Hindu to major markets such as HSR Layout, Malleshwaram, and Jayanagar found that while some arterial roads had become relatively clearer, many vendors had either returned to their original spots or had shifted onto carriageways and interior streets. 

However, at many locations, the situation was similar to what it was before the much-publicised drive. More than street vendors, other encroachments, including parked vehicles and traffic police barricades, had reappeared, leaving the drive with mixed results. 

In HSR Layout, the impact of the drive was most visible along 27th Main Road — one of the areas where the civic body carried out the footpath drive. The stretch appeared noticeably less crowded than before, with fewer food trucks, fruit carts, and tea stalls on the footpath. However, the adjoining roads told a different story, with a higher concentration of vendors setting up their usual stalls on inner roads.

Many vendors have also adapted to the enforcement. Instead of setting up fixed stalls or sitting with items on the footpath, several vendors now operate from movable pushcarts that can be wheeled away within minutes when officials arrive. Vendors said this allows them to return to the same spot once the inspection is over.

A fruit vendor on 27th Main Road said the drive had only temporarily disrupted business. “When the officials came, I moved my cart. After they left, I came back,” he said.

The situation was different in Malleshwaram. Along Sampige Road, footpaths were largely unobstructed, with only a handful of carts seen at junctions. However, similar to HSR Layout, movable stalls and carts continued to operate in the inner lanes. Vendors said they had shifted their businesses to ward roads or a few metres away from their old spot but now operate in fear of further enforcement.

However, in Jayanagar 4th Block, vendors told The Hindu that they had tried setting up their stalls on the road instead of the footpath, but were removed by the traffic police. They also alleged that their goods were confiscated during the drive.

Residents, however, argued that unless footpaths themselves are repaired, removing vendors alone would do little to improve walkability. With large stretches dug up, pedestrians continue to use the road. “Now both vendors and pedestrians are using the road,” a resident said, pointing to increasing congestion due to broken and missing pavements. 

A senior GBA official said field officers have been instructed to ensure that encroachments do not reappear following the drive, noting that the exercise had involved sustained efforts over a long period. However, the official acknowledged receiving a few complaints, pointing out that some engineers themselves had told street vendors to return after some time. “We are identifying whether such instructions were communicated. If so, we will take appropriate action,” the official said.