Traders on Avenue Road are upbeat about good business this festival season after Bengaluru Smart City Limited (BenSCL) officials said they are certain about completing the civic work soon.
While traders had been grappling with the pandemic’s impact on their business for two years, BenSCL’s roadwork that progressed at a snail’s pace further aggravated things.
“We hoped business would return to the pre-pandemic level after normal life in the city resumed,” said Ramesh K, a bookshop owner on Avenue Road.
“The ongoing work left footpaths in a mess and people were hesitating to return. But we are hoping to do normal business this Dasara and Deepavali since most of the works are nearing completion.”
Trade activist Sajjan Raj Mehta said work has been delayed for a long time and hoped BenSCL officials will keep their word at least this time.
“Both traders and the government will lose revenue owing to the loss of business. Though a majority of work has been completed, BenSCL has gone on slowly with the work,” he said. BenSCL officials are hopeful that they will wrap up the work in a week.
“Rain and heavy footfall delayed the work. Now, we have completed all the major works, including laying the road, pipelines, and footpaths. We have to set up a few individual water connections,” said Rajendra Cholan, MD, BenSCL.
BenSCL missed multiple deadlines to complete the work, the latest one being
May 31.