Bengaluru: As the footpath encroachment clearance drive gathers momentum across the city, street vendors in several areas have begun vacating pavements on their own to avoid enforcement action.The pattern was clearly visible Friday along Jayamahal Main Road in JC Nagar, where dozens of temporary fruit vendors had dismantled their makeshift mango stalls even before civic officials arrived. The stretch next to Palace Grounds (opposite the TV Tower), which is usually dotted with 40 fruit stalls, wore an unusually deserted look after vendors voluntarily removed their canopies, tarpaulin sheets and wooden structures, following instructions from civic authorities to vacate the area. Fewer than 10 vendors remained, operating only from pushcarts.Vendors said they chose to clear the pavements themselves fearing that their stalls would otherwise be confiscated or damaged by GBA personnel during the ongoing Safe Footpaths campaign. The situation was same in areas such as Vijayanagar, Begur and Indiranagar as many regular vendors did not turn.Day 3 drive reclaims over 60km of walkwaysThe crackdown Friday saw the city corporations reclaim around 61.4km of footpaths across Bengaluru. The drive targeted commercial encroachments, illegal structures and other obstructions occupying pedestrian spaces on major roads.
