Vendors spill onto roads, return to old spots after footpath drive
A recent crackdown by the Greater Bengaluru Authority to clear footpaths of street vendors has seen limited success. Many vendors have returned to their original spots or shifted to nearby interior roads, adapting their operations to avoid future enforcement.
Why it matters
It illustrates the challenges of urban planning and the informal economy in balancing pedestrian access with the livelihoods of street vendors.
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.
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