How should cities reclaim footpaths? | Explained
Bengaluru's recent 'Safe Footpath' drive has sparked a debate over the balance between pedestrian rights and the livelihoods of street vendors. The article explains that the Street Vendors Act of 2014 provides a legal framework to regulate vending while protecting the rights of both the public and vendors.
Following the Supreme Court’s recognition of the right to walk on safe, obstruction-free footpaths as a fundamental right, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda directed the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority to launch a 10-day ‘Safe Footpath’ drive. The drive removed thousands of street vendors from pavements and cleared encroachments. While many welcomed the initiative, it also raised questions over whether the removals complied with the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which seeks to balance pedestrians’ right to walk with street vendors’ right to livelihood.
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