OFC menace persists in Bengaluru as new GBA regulations remain pending

…college, said that snapped OFCs are a common sight on the stretch, and such a situation, compounded by haphazard parking along the stretch, makes it impossible for pedestrians to walk, especially during rush hours. “ There is a severe parking issue on this stretch, which hasn’t been addressed. Hundreds of students walk to the bus stop near Hosur Road, and the entire way of about 600 metres is flooded with such cables ,” she said. Connectivity woes Pravar Choudhary, an architect, pointed out that stretches with wider footpaths, such as Indiranagar 100 Feet Road, are also covered with bunched cables, creating safety issues. “More…

…cables,” she said. Connectivity woes Pravar Choudhary, an architect, pointed out that stretches with wider footpaths, such as Indiranagar 100 Feet Road, are also covered with bunched cables, creating safety issues. “ More people will start accessing footpaths if obstructions like OFCs are eliminated ,” he said. Several daily commuters who access public transport said such obstructions affect first and last-mile connectivity, leading to increased vehicles on roads and congestion. Despite being a perennial issue that…

…the city corporations have taken up footpath clearance drives. Dhruv N.K., a civic activist from South Bengaluru, said pedestrian infrastructure is a complex issue with multiple factors, with OFCs being a major issue. “ GBA’s initiative to improve pedestrian infrastructure is limited to clearing street vendors and fails to cover more contributing aspects such as OFC, broken footpaths, and drains uncovered with slabs. Acting on easy targets and not addressing other issues defeats the purpose ,” he said. Clement Jayakumar of Mahadevapura Task Force added that the GBA should at least focus on clearing cables hanging lower than 10 metres. “There is also a design issue when it comes to connecting multiple…

…on easy targets and not addressing other issues defeats the purpose,” he said. Clement Jayakumar of Mahadevapura Task Force added that the GBA should at least focus on clearing cables hanging lower than 10 metres. “ There is also a design issue when it comes to connecting multiple lines. With the bylaws, there is a need for redrawing the design for establishing multiple connections from one common point ,” he said, adding that it will address the low-hanging wires issue as well. Published - September 20, 2026 07:10 pm IST…