Encroachments on footpaths are proving to be a major impediment to the movement of pedestrians on the busy Bandar Road from NTR Statue to Autonagar Gate. The road is full of shops overflowing on to the sidewalk.
The footpaths are either encroached upon by the shopkeepers to display their wares or for parking. The hardware, furniture, mattresses, and grocery shops on this stretch of road display their goods and items on footpaths. Scooter and motorcycles parked on the sidewalk or near it also leave no way for pedestrians.
As the encroachments are rampant, the commuters have a tough time finding room to walk. They are forced to jaywalk on the ever-busy Bandar road. From roadside tea vendors to cycle and scooter mechanics, almost every shopkeeper here contributes to make it difficult for the public.
The people complain that the pedestrians can hardly notice the footpaths constructed on side drains or abutting side drains as vehicles are parked on them. The shopkeepers and the customers visiting their shops should be instructed to park their vehicles at their designated parking lot. The footpaths and roads should be left free, they say.
Need of the hour
There will be no traffic jams and accidents if the footpaths were left to the pedestrians. The civic authorities and police are blind to the problem and a special drive is the need of the hour, says Janaki Ramaiah, a senior citizen who walks to pay his bills in e-Seva centre at Patamata.
The space should solely be used for walking and not operating businesses. Commuters are forced to walk amidst the heavy rush of traffic which is not safe at all, he adds. Padmanabhan, a resident of the nearby colony, says there is no check on encroachments. The police on duty don't seem to be bothered with the goings-on, he alleges.
