The shopping Mecca of Bengaluru, Commercial Street has lost much of its charm over the years with cars hogging much of its space , leaving little room for people to enjoy a leisurely shopping experience . But if the BBMP has its way the street could regain some of its lost appeal. The street could soon be declared a ‘No Vehicle Zone’ and a wide walkway built for those who arrive here not only to shop but also enjoy the ambience it has to offer.
A budget of close to Rs 1.5 crore has been set aside for redesigning Commercial Street as part of the BBMP's project to remodel 53 streets in the city. “We hope to acheive complete pedestrianisation of the street. Footpaths of Commercial Street have been compromised for parking for long now. But we now plan to build 11 ft wide sidewalks on either side of the road, leaving a 14 ft lane only for use of ambulances and garbage vehicles. Other cars will be allowed into the street only occasionally,” says Mr Vivek Menon, advisor to the government and member of the Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transport and Urban Planning (CISTUP). “We are also looking for alternative arrangements for parking between Commercial Street and MG Road since parking will no longer be allowed on the street. Business will thrive here however as there will be more room for shoppers,” Mr. Menon adds.
Models adopted to pedestrianise other highly congested urban centers across the globe are being taken into consideration for remodelling the street. With a recent survey finding nearly 400 cars parked at a time in and around Commercial Street and 1500 two-wheelers occupying parking space in its vicinity, its believed that eliminating the 81 parking spaces on Commercial Street is unlikely to make much of a difference to the overall comfort of drivers arriving in the area.