Street Vendors Protest Safe Footpath Campaign Evictions in Majestic and Vijayanagar

The launch of the 'Safe Footpath Campaign' in Bengaluru on Wednesday met with stiff resistance from local street vendors in commercial hubs including Majestic, Vijayanagar, and Sampige Road. While civic officials cleared encroachments to free up pedestrian space, affected vendors protested the sudden disruption of their livelihoods and the lack of alternative vending zones.

The civic drive faced little resistance on stretches such as MG Road, Swami Vivekananda Road, Horamavu, and Banaswadi. In those areas, civic agencies primarily removed advertisement boards, extended roofs, and staircases that encroached upon public footpaths.

However, intense opposition erupted in busy commercial areas. Vendors in Majestic, Vijayanagar, and Sampige Road argued that the eviction drive threatened livelihoods they had built over the past 30 to 40 years. Many displayed official identity cards issued by the municipal corporation, questioning why evictions were happening before alternative vending zones were established.

During the drive, corporation staff cleared stalls selling clothes, footwear, fruits, vegetables, and other goods. Many elderly women vendors broke down as officials seized or removed their merchandise.

In Majestic, a tea stall vendor named Murugan questioned his eviction after running his business for 30 years without obstructing pedestrians. He argued that if the government was genuinely concerned about safety, it should shut down liquor stores first.

In Vijayanagar, a vendor named Babu accused officials of violating the law through forced evictions. He challenged civic teams to first clear the lakhs of private vehicles parked illegally on public roads and footpaths before targeting street hawkers. Other vendors also alleged selective enforcement, claiming stalls displaying photos of local political leaders were left untouched.

In Malleswaram, Srikanth, a vendor who has sold clothes on the footpath for 35 years, urged the civic body to earmark designated vending spaces instead of resorting to blanket evictions.

By Wednesday evening, as the enforcement drive slowed, some vendors returned to Majestic and Sampige Road to resume their business.

Defending the campaign, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda called the drive a necessary, though politically risky, decision for the sake of the city. He requested the public to respect the fundamental right to decent footpaths and voluntarily remove encroachments.