Limited park hours leave residents in Bengaluru frustrated

…and recreation saying limited access is inconvenient. .A Banashankari 6th Stage resident recently wrote to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), urging parks in south Bengaluru to remain open from 5 am to 10 pm. .“ There are many parks in my neighbourhood, but none of them remain fully accessible throughout the day. They open early around 6.30 am and close around 8.30 am, after which they reopen around 4 pm and close again at 8.30 pm. These timings aren’t suitable for a large section of residents, including senior citizens and corporate workers. We only return home at 8 pm to 9 pm; how are we supposed to exercise if all parks are shut? ” said Sreenath Belodu, 55. He added that the restrictions could affect the city’s ease of living index. .Walkers’ association opposes coffee shop in Cubbon Park.Despite the GBA chief commissioner acknowledging his…

…issue persists across the city, with several residents’ groups urging authorities to keep parks open for longer, arguing that prolonged closures limit access to public amenities and affect the city’s liveability. .“ Sankey Tank, which is a major lung space, remains closed between 10 am and 3.30 pm. Ideally, it would make sense to keep the park open throughout the day, as it would allow people to exercise at their convenience. Now, because of the limited timings, the park remains crowded ,” said Aravind Dwarkanath, a Malleswaram resident. He added that public playgrounds in the area also remain inaccessible. .Better management of security and maintenance could help address the issue, said Priyanka Jain,…

…a Malleswaram resident. He added that public playgrounds in the area also remain inaccessible. .Better management of security and maintenance could help address the issue, said Priyanka Jain, a Sanjay Nagar resident. .“ If a space is unsafe, it is the job of the authorities to bring in measures to improve safety. They can’t ask people to stay home instead. It’s the same cycle every few years. They allow parks to remain open all day, and after any unsafe incident, they immediately roll back the timings. That’s not the solution ,” she said. .'Why 8 pm?' .“In most cases, we’ve noticed that there are barely any genuine walkers who visit parks after 8 pm. In most cases, it is people involved in anti-social activities. In south Bengaluru…

…stay home instead. It’s the same cycle every few years. They allow parks to remain open all day, and after any unsafe incident, they immediately roll back the timings. That’s not the solution,” she said. .'Why 8 pm?' .“ In most cases, we’ve noticed that there are barely any genuine walkers who visit parks after 8 pm. In most cases, it is people involved in anti-social activities. In south Bengaluru specifically, there were multiple chain-snatching incidents and other such cases, due to which resident associations complained to us. That’s why the decision was made to strictly close parks at 8 pm in the area ,” an official of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) said, adding that parks would also be required to remain closed during afternoon hours for maintenance. Bengaluru: Restricted opening hours at public parks remain…