Bengaluru residents call for measures to increase security instead of cutting park access | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Nearly a year after neighbourhood parks across the city were opened for extended hours, Bengaluru South city corporation has rolled back the decision, limiting access to parks in its jurisdiction to 5am—11am and 4pm—8pm.Many residents say local parks serve as rare spaces for recreation, calm, and routine, arguing that restricting hours is not the answer to concerns over misuse. Flexible timings, they say, allow people to visit during the quieter periods of the day to sit, walk, or simply unwind. They also point out that poor footpaths and fast-moving traffic outside parks limit safe access to public spaces, making parks one of the few accessible retreats. The extended hours were introduced in June 2024, allowing parks to remain open from 5am to 10pm to accommodate walkers, fitness enthusiasts, and families through the day. The govt extended the timings in over 1,200 neighbourhood parks under the erstwhile BBMP (now Greater Bengaluru Authority) to boost public access. Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, managed by the horticulture department, continued to follow separate timings. The rollback in south Bengaluru comes amid concerns over sparse evening footfall, misuse, and limited manpower to monitor activities in parks. Civic officials noted that anti-social behaviour and littering during late hours made it difficult to ensure safety and order. “Public spaces, or commons, should be open and accessible to all, with proper security and maintenance infrastructure in place, and any downtime for upkeep must be determined reasonably by the administration. Limited access cannot be justified by staff shortage, political pressure, or other reasons, as open spaces exist to serve the community,” said R Rajagopalan, convener of Bengaluru Coalition, a citizens’ collective. Governance and administration should ensure consistent management, with law and order support provided where needed, and policies around access must be uniform across all city corporations, with oversight from the relevant governance bodies rather than left to individual factions or opinions, he added. WHAT CITIZENS SAYVijayalakshmi | 68, from HosakerehalliFlexible park timings really help us seniors. We can spend a good hour or two sitting peacefully, breathing in fresh air and stretching our bodies without any hurry. It’s a small comfort that makes a big difference. Unfortunately, once we step out of the park, the roads are unsafe. Instead of closing parks, efforts should be made to increase security insideChandramma | 72, from Thyagaraja NagarFor people like us, flexible park timings are a blessing. We can enjoy quiet, calm moments under the shade of trees without crowds disturbing us. It’s a space where we feel free and relaxed. But stepping outside is another story — uneven pavements and busy streets turn even a simple walk into a tiring and unsafe experienceDakshinya | 23, non-IT professionalI used to live in JP Nagar before moving to Mahadevapura earlier this year. Whenever I wanted to spend time without phones and with friends, parks were always the best option. I never encountered any illegal activities, and I saw many people — women exercising, friends chatting, others reading peacefully. If parks are closed, many will be affected Ravi Kumar | 29, gig worker from RamanagaraI travel from Ramanagara to Bengaluru every day, working from 7am to 11pm as a bike-taxi and delivery person. The parks along the way are where people like me get a moment to rest. Parks are spots where we can take a break, eat from our dabbas, and recharge before continuing our journey… closing parks would greatly affect our routine and leave us without a safe, open space to rest Sooryanarayana | 65, from Konanakunte CrossPublic parks should be kept open throughout the day. Of course, there should be proper arrangements — access to water, resting spots, and someone to monitor the space so that there’s no illegal activity. Keeping them open all day is important, but it must be supported by an official mechanism to ensure safety and proper useAdi Narayan | president, Bike Taxi AssociationMany of us travel from Hoskote, Electronics City, and the outskirts of Bengaluru every day, working as delivery guys, bike-taxi drivers. We don’t have access to space to rest aside from public parks. Not many can go back to their homes in the afternoon to rest, so they will end up resting on roads and footpaths, which is very difficult