<p>Bengaluru: Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad on Thursday expressed concern over footpaths being encroached upon by street vendors and religious groups, as well as their misuse as informal parking spaces and garbage dumping spots. </p>.<p>He also highlighted poor coordination between agencies, which often results in newly laid roads being dug up within just 15 days. </p>.<p>He was speaking at a panel discussion on 'Urban mobility in Bengaluru city: Challenges and way forward' at Audit Diwas 2025, organised by the Office of the Accountant General (Audit-1), Karnataka. </p>.<p>The Congress legislator envisioned a city where public transport becomes the preferred mode over personal vehicles, supported by attractive footpaths and cycle tracks in the coming five years. He emphasised that all infrastructure plans must factor in the people and vehicles that will be added to India’s fastest-growing city in the near future. </p>.<p>M Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), envisioned a city where everyone can reach their workplace within 20 minutes. He stressed transport-oriented development through rigorous planning and heavy investment (to the tune of Rs 2-3 lakh crore) in Bengaluru’s infrastructure. </p>.<p>He highlighted the newly redesigned Race Course Road Circle as an example of an improved model for mobility at junctions, with pedestrian tracks, cycle lanes and reduced congestion. He also drew attention to the construction of toilets designed to meet the needs of differently abled and wheelchair-bound individuals, suggesting it as a model for replication across the city. </p>.<p>Jahangirbadshah Rasul Inamdar, Principal Accountant General (Audit I), Karnataka, reminded the panel that Bengaluru is a city of aspirations, and any future plan must align with the aspirations of its residents. </p>.<p>He explained how CAG audits could assist agencies by identifying key issues affecting the city. He also pointed out that both the government and audit institutions often work in silos and stressed the need to break these silos for better integrated functioning. </p>.<p>V R Vachana, Associate Director (Policy), Janaagraha and Jana Urban Space Foundation, spoke about the need for a comprehensive master plan for urban development integrating the work of agencies such as BBMP, BMTC, BWSSB, Bescom and BMRCL. </p>.<p>She highlighted the shortage of engineers, urban planners, in-house designers, and financial experts and stressed the need for all of these to come together under an integrated master plan. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad on Thursday expressed concern over footpaths being encroached upon by street vendors and religious groups, as well as their misuse as informal parking spaces and garbage dumping spots. </p>.<p>He also highlighted poor coordination between agencies, which often results in newly laid roads being dug up within just 15 days. </p>.<p>He was speaking at a panel discussion on 'Urban mobility in Bengaluru city: Challenges and way forward' at Audit Diwas 2025, organised by the Office of the Accountant General (Audit-1), Karnataka. </p>.<p>The Congress legislator envisioned a city where public transport becomes the preferred mode over personal vehicles, supported by attractive footpaths and cycle tracks in the coming five years. He emphasised that all infrastructure plans must factor in the people and vehicles that will be added to India’s fastest-growing city in the near future. </p>.<p>M Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), envisioned a city where everyone can reach their workplace within 20 minutes. He stressed transport-oriented development through rigorous planning and heavy investment (to the tune of Rs 2-3 lakh crore) in Bengaluru’s infrastructure. </p>.<p>He highlighted the newly redesigned Race Course Road Circle as an example of an improved model for mobility at junctions, with pedestrian tracks, cycle lanes and reduced congestion. He also drew attention to the construction of toilets designed to meet the needs of differently abled and wheelchair-bound individuals, suggesting it as a model for replication across the city. </p>.<p>Jahangirbadshah Rasul Inamdar, Principal Accountant General (Audit I), Karnataka, reminded the panel that Bengaluru is a city of aspirations, and any future plan must align with the aspirations of its residents. </p>.<p>He explained how CAG audits could assist agencies by identifying key issues affecting the city. He also pointed out that both the government and audit institutions often work in silos and stressed the need to break these silos for better integrated functioning. </p>.<p>V R Vachana, Associate Director (Policy), Janaagraha and Jana Urban Space Foundation, spoke about the need for a comprehensive master plan for urban development integrating the work of agencies such as BBMP, BMTC, BWSSB, Bescom and BMRCL. </p>.<p>She highlighted the shortage of engineers, urban planners, in-house designers, and financial experts and stressed the need for all of these to come together under an integrated master plan. </p>