Where: 4.8-km Stretch from HDMC office to Koppikar Road via CBT in HubballiWalk-o-meter: 2/5Hubballi: The footpaths do exist in the heart of Hubballi, but you just can’t walk on them. Encroachments and illegal occupation by vendors have gobbled up the footpath opposite the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation’s (HDMC) main office.Both sides of Lamington Road are clear enough till Railway Station. The scene turns chaotic from Shah bazaar, where footpath turns into a marketplace for clothes, footwear, ornaments like earrings, nose rings, and necklaces. Not just vehicles, but pedestrians also get stuck mid-lane, creating bottlenecks till the City Bus Terminal, slowing the movement of city buses. As sun sets, the number of vendors increases in the area till Durgad Bail.Durgad Bail circle is wide enough, but it gets crowded in the evenings. The vehicular movement from Durgad Bail towards Koppikar Road is banned as the road turns narrow. A transformer is another hurdle at the corner of the bazaar.The brisk business of street vendors has enticed many shopkeepers to extend their shops by displaying their products on tables or cots on footpath. Whenever HDMC takes up footpath encroachment evacuation drive, they whisk their belongings inside and again spread their wares whenever street vendors throng.Heading towards Belgaum Galli Cross is not an easy task. Footpath on both sides of the road is either narrow or occupied by petty shops. It takes at least 20 minutes to cover about 100 metres on this stretch. Pedestrians need ample time and patience to walk here. At Anjuman’s Ajwaa Mall, the footpath is almost totally encroached by street vendors.From Belgaum Galli Cross to Pendar Galli, the footpath is encroached by two-wheelers and four-wheelers towards Maratha Galli, the lack of space for parking here. A heap of construction waste, dumped on footpath at Pendar Galli Masjid, is a major hurdle, forcing them to risk walking in the middle of the road. From Medar Oni to Town Police Station Cross, pedestrians have to walk on a very narrow path, which has loose pavers here and there.Space is narrow for about 30 metres as pedestrians turn left on Koppikar Road, which later widens and is comparable to Bengaluru’s MG Road.SAFETY: PoorWith traffic jams on the roads and very little room to walk on the footpaths, walking gets extremely dangerous. Hurdles like garbage and debris bring the continuity of the road considerably down.ACCESSIBILITY: WeakThe encroachments by vendors and the shops themselves force pedestrians to switch from one side of the road to the other. This can get tedious and most pedestrians prefer walking on the road despite heavy traffic.MAINTENANCE: PoorThere are countless road and building construction projects that make it impossible to check their status. The footpaths are occupied with construction work, taking away the little space left for pedestrians.Quotes:Koppikar Road is turning into Durgad Bail slowly. HDMC takes up footpath encroachment evacuation drive on our insistence, they are cleared for 2-3 days, but encroachments are back soon. HDMC must keep a daily vigil. We are not against street vendors but let there be a notified space for them. HDMC had identified Koli Market for them in the past. Now no one knows the status of proposal. -Rajesh Kataria, shopkeeper, Koppikar RoadFootpaths are for safe walking. Encroachments and parking on footpaths affects citizens’ rights. Senior citizens and children are forced to walk on busy roads, increasing the risk of accidents. Livelihood is important for traders, but it should not endanger the lives of others. Keeping footpaths clear for pedestrians is the responsibility of civil society and the govt. -Savitri Naik, homemaker, HubballiFootpath encroachment has affected the growth of the city. We are forced to park our cars far away, and then we have to walk or hire an autorickshaw to reach the mid-market areas. On the other end, people are deceived by illegal vendors who sell products of substandard quality. It’s a great hurdle for genuine traders, who pay rent, tax, and all other fees to the govt. HDMC should make an alternative arrangement for street vendors to resolve the footpath and traffic issues. -Prof Shantesh Kenchannavar, HubballiWhat TOI Found1. With traffic jams on the roads and very little room to walk on the footpaths, walking gets extremely dangerous.2. Hurdles like piles of garbage and debris on footpaths add to the problem.3. There are countless road and building construction projects that add to the chaos. Construction work takes away the little space that the pedestrians have for walking.4. Durgad Bail is only a microcosm of heavily mismanaged, unchecked chaos of any road in Belgaum Galli.5. Encroachments by shopkeepers by spreading their wares on footpaths eats into walking space.
