Let us make pedestrians a priority in infra planning

Photo for representational purpose

By its very definition, a footpath is a place for pedestrians. Foot and path are entirely self-explanatory. It is disappointing and telling of the state of pedestrian-only paths, that the state's Chief Minister had to tell the BMC to ensure pedestrians have right of way.

A report in this paper on Sunday highlighted how the civic body was told to put bollards and benches on pavements to ensure that two wheelers-and motorists, the former especially, do not drive on footpaths when roads are clogged with traffic.

At a meet in the city some time ago, a former top cop had observed that he had seen two-wheelers driving in the wrong direction on roads - an alarming trend, given the propensity for accidents. "I have not seen this happen anywhere else in the world," the ex-cop had stated. There must also be very little precedent for vehicles driving on footpaths.

We need the absolute will to ensure that pedestrians reclaim their footpaths. Today, an open footpath seems a luxury. These paths are not just taken up by one errant driver too many. We have encroachments like little shops, restaurant extensions, barbershops and salons, hawkers, parked cars all eating up the footpath, inch by inch and foot by foot.

It is also evident that once encroachments get entrenched, there is very little the locals can do to keep them out.

The result is pedestrians pushed on to roads, skirting and avoiding encroachments so that they have some way on the footpath. We have not even come to footpaths that are dug up or broken in places. Mumbai is a place where pedestrians come last in the right-to-infra pecking order.

Let us change that equation, and bring safety, freeing footpaths and pedestrian space, on top of the traffic pyramid.

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