Jayanagar Vendors Face Goods Confiscation in GBA Footpath Clearance Drive

Days after the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) safe footpath drive, street vendors and other encroachments have returned to their original spots or shifted onto carriageways and interior streets in Jayanagar and other parts of Bengaluru. The enforcement drive, which aimed to clear pedestrian paths, has yielded mixed results as vendors adapted to the crackdown and congestion shifted to inner roads.

In Jayanagar 4th Block, street vendors reported that they attempted to set up their stalls on the road instead of the footpaths to avoid the clearance drive. However, these vendors were removed by the traffic police, who also confiscated their goods during the enforcement action.

The situation across other major market areas mirrored this pattern of displacement. In HSR Layout, the drive temporarily cleared the footpath along 27th Main Road of food trucks, fruit carts, and tea stalls. However, a higher concentration of vendors quickly set up their stalls on adjoining inner roads. Many vendors have transitioned to using movable pushcarts that can be quickly wheeled away when officials arrive and returned once inspections conclude.

Similarly, in Malleshwaram, while footpaths along Sampige Road remained largely unobstructed, vendors shifted their operations to ward roads and inner lanes just a few metres away from their original spots, operating in fear of further enforcement.

Local residents pointed out that clearing vendors does not fully resolve the pedestrian crisis. In many areas, large stretches of footpaths remain dug up or broken. Residents noted that because the pavements are unusable, both pedestrians and vendors have been forced onto the active carriage roads, compounding local traffic congestion.

A senior GBA official stated that field officers have been instructed to ensure that encroachments do not reappear. The official acknowledged receiving complaints that some municipal engineers had instructed vendors to return to their spots after the drive concluded. The GBA is currently identifying whether such instructions were communicated and has promised to take appropriate action if the claims are verified.