Visitors at an interactive exhibition during the three-day Namma Raste event that concluded on Saturday in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

Namma Raste, the three-day road safety and mobility event, drew to a close on Saturday with experts and officials emphasising the need for obstruction-free footpaths in Bengaluru and a woman-centric infrastructure approach in mobility. However, BBMP Engineer-in-Chief B.S. Prahlad was absent from the much-anticipated session.

In the morning, experts and officials discussed gender-responsive mobility in the city. The event was attended by G.T. Prabhakar Reddy, Chief Traffic Manager (Operations), BMTC, and Ann Jacob, Chief Urban Designer and Senior Urban Planner, DULT.

During the discussion, experts highlighted the lack of infrastructure for women at bus stops. Manju George, Senior Programme Manager, World Resources Institute (WRI), said, “We brought to the officials’ notice the high footboards, which make it difficult for women carrying children to climb. Likewise, multiple micro aspects were highlighted, requiring a woman-centric approach by the government.”

Ms. George noted that women engaged in domestic work often travel during non-peak hours. After completing household chores, they step out, but due to low bus frequency, they are sometimes forced to take cabs.

Mr. Reddy spoke about gender sensitisation in BMTC. Explaining the government’s programme, he said, “At BMTC, we are sensitising staff on gender issues through training. BMTC buses have panic buttons for women, and pressing the button alerts Pink Hoysala.”

Better pavements

Arun Pai, founder of BangaloreWalks, stressed the need for obstruction-free footpaths in the city. He said walking has become difficult due to obstructions, and a system to rate footpaths is currently missing.

Mr. Pai suggested rating footpaths based on obstacles: footpaths with inanimate objects should be rated 4, those with major obstacles rated 3, minor obstacles rated 2, and completely obstruction-free footpaths rated 1. Obstacles include human congestion, inanimate objects, and broken footpaths. He urged people to walk more on footpaths daily to pressure authorities into addressing the issue.

5,000 participants

The event drew 5,000 participants, including government officials, civil society groups, educational institutions, and corporate representatives, to explore sustainable transport solutions for the city.

Over 70 speakers and 68 government and partner organisations took part in discussions and interactive sessions, alongside students from 16 schools and colleges. Key agencies such as BMTC, BMRCL, K-Ride, DULT, and BTP highlighted their collaborative efforts to address the city’s mobility challenges.

The three-day event featured several significant initiatives, including the launch of the Namma Raste Kaipidi (Handbook), immersive data visualisations, expert discussions, and capacity-building workshops. The sessions emphasised the need for integrated public transport, improved road infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly urban planning to create a more efficient and sustainable transport network in the city.