A 600-metre stretch of footpath, along the Old Outer Ring Road in Nagarbhavi, has become a nightmare for pedestrians. This stretch starts from the main gate of Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology (Dr AIT), a leading engineering college, and ends at Kengunte Circle. The Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM), an educational institution under central government’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is also located along this stretch.
This stretch of footpath is perilous for the thousands of students and staff of IIPM and Dr AIT, and the general public, who use it everyday. It is ever-filled with vast volumes of garbage, which even overflows onto the ORR.
There are also many obstructions on the footpath, preventing free movement of the public. For example, the footpath was recently dug up to lay Optical Fibre Cable, but was not professionally closed.
OFC and other obstructions on the footpath. Pic: Gundappa Srinivas
Because of these obstructions and garbage, and unevenness of the footpath, pedestrians end up walking on the very busy ORR, risking their lives. When vehicles stop at the traffic signal at Kengunte Circle, pedestrians get jammed up on the road, unable to walk freely.
Under the circumstances regular commuters are really crying out for authorities to:
- Build a slip-proof footpath from Dr AIT to Kengunte Circle, that is accessible to both the elderly and people with disabilities
- Have zero tolerance to garbage, with strict monitoring, to keep the footpath clean
- Remove obstructions on the footpath, especially ugly structures like the BDA layout plan displayed close to Kengunte Circle, so that there is space to walk
- Build spacious, disabled-friendly bus shelters at Kengunte Circle