Banashankari citizens seek clear footpaths

They say encroachments and poor traffic management have ruined what was once a tranquil neighbourhood

Residents of Banashankari 2nd Stage say footpath encroachments and unregulated traffic have become a daily nightmare. “The BNM Institute of Technology and Our School contribute greatly to the problem. Vehicles of students and faculty line both sides of the main roads and crossroads. They’re parked on the footpaths as well,” a prominent citizen says.

The college does not allow parking inside its premises. The area is home to many influential citizens, from politicians to movie stars. One of them, former minister BK Chandrashekhar, says the area is mismanaged both by the war level officials of the BBMP and the local traffic police.

“The latter made the ring road ‘signal-free’ a year or so ago and this has increased the flow of vehicles into this residential area. Diverting traffic to a residential area in itself is poor planning but not doing anything to regulate it once it is done just compounds the problem,” he says. Roads are blocked and vegetable and fruit sellers have permanently occupied the footpaths. The police just don’t do anything, he says.

“Many residents have encroached the footpaths for their own selfish needs. They park their vehicles, grow home gardens and make fences around it. One individual has even raised the level of the footpath to match his house and embedded stones so no one else can access it,” he says, adding that the BBMP should be acting against such violations.

Traffic expert MN Sreehari visited the area and offered some simple solutions, such as turning 28th Cross and the three parallel roads into alternating one ways.

He also says the median opposite 15th Main should be opened for turning, with proper safety precautions and signal lights.

Chandrashekhar says various people in the neighbourhood have told him that field-level BBMP and traffic police complain that people’s representatives intervene when action is taken against offenders.

“Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda had, it seems, assured someone in the area that action will be taken against violation of the one-way rule but there has been no action so far,” he says.

Police response

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikanthe Gowda says he has notified the BBMP of the situation. “We are clearing the footpath encroachments in coordination with them,” he says.