<p>Bengaluru: The Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) audited the condition of footpaths across seven wards in the city. The report noted that none of the audited stretches was in a usable condition, forcing pedestrians to use the road instead.</p>.<p>The audited stretches included HSR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, Bilekahalli, Yelenahalli, Doddakamanahalli, Shakambharinagar and Sarakki.</p>.Bengaluru pedestrians, step aside; the footpaths are taken.<p>The report highlighted a severe safety crisis. While physical footpaths were present in some form on 83% of the stretches, not a single audited footpath was found to be continuous or usable. Nearly 67% of the audited areas had water stagnation and were either poorly lit or completely lacked lighting.</p>.<p>Encroachment and garbage dumping were also found to be common across almost all the areas audited. Vehicle parking and construction debris each obstructed around 83% of the footpaths audited.</p>.<p>Commenting on the findings, Srikanth Narasimhan, founder and general secretary of BNP, said, “These issues persist predominantly due to a significant governance gap characterised by a lack of enforcement, monitoring systems, and clear institutional ownership. While this is a sample audit, it is enough to expose the apathy of the local authorities towards the convenience and safety of pedestrians in the city. In Bengaluru, we see thousands of crores being allocated for public works, yet the daily experience of a pedestrian is one of fear and inconvenience.”</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Bengaluru NavaNirmana Party (BNP) audited the condition of footpaths across seven wards in the city. The report noted that none of the audited stretches was in a usable condition, forcing pedestrians to use the road instead.</p>.<p>The audited stretches included HSR Layout, Kalyan Nagar, Bilekahalli, Yelenahalli, Doddakamanahalli, Shakambharinagar and Sarakki.</p>.Bengaluru pedestrians, step aside; the footpaths are taken.<p>The report highlighted a severe safety crisis. While physical footpaths were present in some form on 83% of the stretches, not a single audited footpath was found to be continuous or usable. Nearly 67% of the audited areas had water stagnation and were either poorly lit or completely lacked lighting.</p>.<p>Encroachment and garbage dumping were also found to be common across almost all the areas audited. Vehicle parking and construction debris each obstructed around 83% of the footpaths audited.</p>.<p>Commenting on the findings, Srikanth Narasimhan, founder and general secretary of BNP, said, “These issues persist predominantly due to a significant governance gap characterised by a lack of enforcement, monitoring systems, and clear institutional ownership. While this is a sample audit, it is enough to expose the apathy of the local authorities towards the convenience and safety of pedestrians in the city. In Bengaluru, we see thousands of crores being allocated for public works, yet the daily experience of a pedestrian is one of fear and inconvenience.”</p>
