To draw a parallel the current efforts of BBMP to lay footpaths/sidewalks in Bangalore is a total farce in most areas. In Sanjaynagar all of the sidewalks I have seen are unwalkable and for namesake only.

1) They have too many encroachments - This has been identified all too often. The solution here is also well known, when laying sidewalks attention should be paid to clear the encroachments (atleast the permenant ones) and not finish the job ignoring them. If there are transformers & electric poles they need to shifted or moved to a corner before claiming the sidewalk done or puring concrete. Private gardens on public place must be dismantled. There is one near my place which is fenced and under lock and key forcing us to walk on the road.

2) They are too narrow - If you assume a lane width to be 11 ft with provision for road marking the space on a 2 lane road should only be around 23 or 24 ft. The rest of the width should go for sidewalk. Only where parking can be allowed there can be indentation in the sidewalk.

So the approach should be to leave only road space that is required and occupy the rest for sidewalks, Instead all the BBMP does is lay a standard 4 or 5 ft slab from the end of the road. This leaves disproportionate road space and unecessary parking, stopping etc.

The sidewalk cannot be given lipservice in heavily populated country/city like ours. No amount of crappy sidewalk laying should be alowed or tolerated. This mediocrity and callousness in public service is unbecoming of a democracy like ours.

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In my area, some home owners opposed BBMP guys from removing the slabs in front of their compound gates. BBMP were just too happy not to fight. Result, you have concrete footpath (which BTW also cover storm water drains) that slopes, rises and falls like a walking challenge track!

Not that BBMP did any better where owners supported either... but that's another story.
 

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I am a regular commuter on Bannerghatta road (home and office). I would still not dare to attempt to walk the 3 kms, even though it is a small walkable distance (and good for health/pocket/environment)

Apart from the usual problems of broken flow of pedestrian movement, shaky slabs, encroachments by shop owners, street vendors etc., the biggest problem I see is the parking of Tempos on the sidewalk! There are stretches of the footpath that are used for organized parking by tempo owners. Mind you, these are the bigger tempos, closer to lorry size. This basically forces all pedestrians to hop onto the main road, and then the rest can be imagined. I kept wondering if this is legally allowed, since there seems to be some organized method to this parking madness. To my surprise, I see this signboard, which clearly says that "only 16" tempos can be parked. Imagine 16 tempos packed closely covering the entire sidewalk. How did the BBMP approve this? (Assuming this is a legitimate signboard in the first place).

This sign was found in front of the Sagar Apollo hospital. There are stretches of tempo parking in front of Oakyard apartments near Jayadeva flyover as well. How can we protest or complain against this?

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Finally there seems to be some movement towards pedestrianization of Commecial street...

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/just-shop-com-street-749

Let us hope this comes to pass. Its clear that it a very good thing. The article mentions a trader who says that they have lost business to Malls etc. This is simply because Malls are more pleasant places to shop - you dont have to be worried about getting run over by some stupid two wheeler or driver or going deaf from honking ( though in Malls one has to worry abotu going deaf from the awful and loud music they play )

However, this has to be done carefully as - since it has been done before and failed - some thought has to be made. One - provision has to be made for parking close by. There is a huge parking structure next to Shivajinagar bus stand. When I parked there recently there was plenty to parking. What shocked me, though was that there were at least a 100 `dead' cars gathering dust in the parking lot ! And what blew my mind finally was that the Traffic commissioner, M.A. Saleem has his office in that complex !

So given the fact that there is a huge parking shortage in that area its almost criminal that a parking structure is lying underused and full of carcasses of cars - right under the nose of the traffic police !

Ramesh

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