Bengaluru pushes for stronger pedestrian, cycling infrastructure

Bengaluru

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has announced renewed efforts to strengthen pedestrian and cycling infrastructure across the city, with Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao calling on corporate organisations to actively promote walking and cycling among employees.

Speaking after launching the “Hejje–GALA” initiative on Wednesday, Rao said improving footpaths and non-motorised transport facilities remains one of GBA’s top priorities. The initiative, conceptualised by WRI India in collaboration with Walkaluru and Urban Morph, aims to foster a sustainable mobility culture across major employment hubs under the five City Corporations within the GBA limits.

Rao said the programme would create healthy competition among the five City Corporations while generating valuable data to guide future infrastructure upgrades. He welcomed the participation of corporate bodies and industry associations such as ORRCA, ELCIA and WEPPIA, describing their involvement as critical to scaling up walking and cycling in Bengaluru. Data collected over the next three months, he said, would be used on a priority basis to strengthen pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner Manivannan said several non-governmental organisations are already working to increase footpath usage in the city. He assured that the BDA would collaborate closely with these groups and extend full cooperation to improve walkability and safety for pedestrians.

Highlighting progress at the City Corporation level, North City Corporation Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar said officials and citizens had jointly conducted walking audits covering 34 km of footpaths in his jurisdiction. The audits helped identify multiple issues affecting pedestrian safety and accessibility. He added that the Corporation has set a target to inspect 100 km of footpaths in the near future and resolve issues through coordinated action among various departments.

The Hejje–GALA initiative will run for three months and focuses on improving employee health and well-being, reducing carbon emissions and easing traffic congestion. Corporate organisations are being encouraged to motivate employees to log trips made by walking and cycling, including first- and last-mile connectivity to public transport. Participation levels, distance travelled and estimated carbon reductions will be tracked through digital dashboards and leaderboards.

Registrations for the initiative are open on hejjegala.in, with City Corporation-wise leaderboards designed to encourage wider participation. Insights gathered from the challenge are expected to help urban planners identify the need for safer pedestrian crossings, higher-quality footpaths and more comfortable cycling tracks across Bengaluru.

A wide range of organisations have joined the initiative, including Abhitech Engineers, Amazon Web Services, Biocon, Dell Technologies, Intel, KPMG, L&T Technology Services, Siemens, Novo Nordisk, Qualcomm, Embassy Group, Greenpeace, Hasiru Dala, Ugly Indians and the Association of Persons with Disabilities, among others.

The initiative was flagged off with a 2-km inaugural walk from Vidhana Soudha Metro Station through Cubbon Park to the GBA Head Office. More than 40 corporate leaders and senior government officials participated. The event also saw the presence of Pawan Mulukutla of WRI India, Sathya Shankar of Urban Morph and Arun Pai of Walkaluru.