Recently Upgraded Footpaths On Palace Road Fall Into Disrepair

Pedestrians navigating Palace Road and Y Ramachandra Road in Bengaluru have voiced deep frustration after recently developed footpaths rapidly deteriorated into hazardous stretches. Civic authorities spent significant sums of money to upgrade the pavements and incorporated specialized tactile paving to assist visually impaired walkers. However, large sections of the tactile pathways are already damaged or missing, leaving the walkways unsafe for daily commuters and senior citizens.

Along both thoroughfares, paving stones have loosened, cracked, or disappeared entirely, creating uneven surfaces that pose a constant tripping risk. Pedestrians pointed out that the newly upgraded stretches have quickly returned to poor conditions despite the substantial public expenditure invested in their modern overhaul.

Karthik S, a pedestrian who regularly uses the route, noted that the loose and missing pavers have degraded the footpath far worse than expected. He urged civic authorities to step in immediately and repair the walking surface for the hundreds of commuters who rely on it every day.

Other walkers criticized civic body engineers for a lack of quality control during construction. Pedestrian Ashok Kumar P blamed engineers for failing to oversee the work properly, pointing out that infrastructure meant to last for years deteriorated within a short span. He called on the Greater Bengaluru Authority Chief Commissioner to conduct an inspection of the footpaths and penalize contractors and officials responsible for sub-standard execution.

Safety concerns mounted further over an open utility chamber on the Palace Road footpath, where a cover went missing. To prevent unsuspecting pedestrians from plunging into the exposed pit, a Good Samaritan placed a bamboo tree guard over the opening. Pedestrian Vijaya Kumar B urged the police to maintain surveillance against petty thieves who target metal covers, while appealing to civic authorities to replace the missing lid without delay.

Additional neglect is visible beside the compound wall of Maharani Cluster University’s Smt VHD Central Institute of Home Sciences, where an old, broken concrete name board remains abandoned on the footpath. While authorities spent funds to erect a new board at the institute's entrance, the damaged structure was left behind alongside neglected black spots that attract litter. In response to mounting complaints, the BCCC public relations officer promised to alert the concerned authorities to clear accumulated garbage, including discarded beer bottles, from the footpaths.