16 January,2023 06:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Hawkers hang their wares on the footpath railing outside Ghatkopar railway station. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The BMC has installed fibre railings or guardrails on stretches of pavement across the city, claiming that it would prevent cars from driving on the sidewalks and parking there, as well as deter hawkers. While cars continue to be parked on footpaths in several parts of the city, these railings now serve as hangers for hawkers' wares which, in turn, make it difficult for pedestrians to navigate the pavements. In the first of a three-part series on arbitrary installation of railings, mid-day visits various spots in the city to find out how these railings are utilised for everything else other than what they were actually installed for.
Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mooted the idea of installing railings/guardrails and boulders on footpaths in 2019. Traffic officials stated that many bikers take to riding on footpaths during peak hours to avoid the traffic, thus posing a risk to pedestrians. Officials said the railing would not only deter bikers, but also hawkers.
A senior BMC official, on the condition of anonymity, said, "These railings have been installed to make pedestrian-friendly footpaths/pavements and to ensure there is no encroachment on footpaths. It also adds to the aesthetics of the roads." However, mid-day, during the visits, learnt that railings have failed to meet the purpose and instead lead to the aesthetics going for a toss.
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The guardrails of the footpath act as an utility for hawkers on SV Road, Borivli. Pic/Sameer Markande
The unending hawker menace outside Borivli railway station on S V Road means they have not only taken over the footpaths but have also spilled onto the road. These hawkers use the railings, for which crores were spent, as hangers to display their products - from clothes, bags, footwear to flower garlands. "Footpaths have become a utility for hawkers, encroachments. These railings have become a vital piece of furniture for all of these. How is this railing helpful to pedestrians? During peak hour and congestion, footpaths with railings become even more risky," said Saurabh Singh, a local resident.
Also read: Officials must ensure repaired roads stay intact
There were also places where people uprooted and discarded part of the railing for their convenience, and there is no check to stop this. At some places, the railings also act as a spot for drug addicts to gather. Pradeep Jain, a resident of Parvat Nagar in Dahisar East, said, "Drug addicts and anti-social elements gather at the corners of the footpath around the railing at some spots. We have seen them trying to uproot the barricades too, such as the spot opposite Anuj building. Some also dump their garbage at places. I feel that encroachment and nuisance have increased since the railings were installed."
The situation of the footpath opposite Hub Mall on Western Express Highway in Goregaon East was no different with several tea, snack vendors, and pan stalls, and the railings act as a place for them to put their belongings on. The WEH, despite being an important and busy road, is facing encroachment menace with the authorities turning a blind eye to the issues of pedestrians.
While the idea behind installing the railings was to make space for pedestrians, it has instead led to narrowing of the walkways at some places. A classic example is the railing on the footpath adjacent to the MHADA building in Bandra East. The road, which houses the residence of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, has heavy traffic influx and pedestrian movement round the clock. The footpath, approximately two to three feet wide, has railings, but pedestrians still walk on the road, dodging speeding vehicles and risking lives. Snehal Joshi, who was visiting the MHADA building, said, "The footpath is very narrow and is uneven. There is also a tree blocking the path. The railings prevent us from stepping down on the road to avoid these hurdles, so we have no option but to walk on the road instead."
Railing installed on E S Patanwala Road leaves no space for pedestrians to access the road
Unlike many other parts of the city, the footpath along E S Patanwala Road in Byculla East is wide on the side of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo. But, this pavement is occupied by many chowkies and offices/extensions of various departments of BMC itself. While the railing here was in good shape, the footpath was used to store construction material for the ongoing road repair work, rendering it useless for pedestrians. At some places, the railing was installed in such a way that pedestrians are not able to step down to the road at all.
Hawkers use footpath guardrail to display their products near Amar Mahal junction, Chembur. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Hawkers rule the footpath and road near Amar Mahal junction to the Arts Gallery in Chembur, one of the street shopping hotspots in the eastern suburbs. mid-day, during its visit, saw the while the BMC has installed a railing on a small part, other parts continue to remain without a railing. Some places, where BMC had were installed railing, were seen missing the guardrails.
Hawkers use footpath guardrail to display their products near Amar Mahal junction, Chembur. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The footpath railings near Ghatkopar station are used as hangers by hawkers and as a pole for tying up cows by the local cow shed. The station area on the west side bustles with hawkers, vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians, but it is hawkers who make the most of the footpath. "On the east side, tabela owners use the railing as support for their makeshift cow shed. They sometimes even tie their cattle on the railing. I don't understand why the BMC is spending money on these railings," said Bhaskar Chavan, a local resident, adding, "Everywhere in Ghatkopar we see hawkers make a good use of railing as hangers."
The footpath on Shimpoli Road between Shimpoli signal and Suvarna Hospital is full of encroachments with shops, such as car washing centres and poultry shops among others, taking over the footpath till the railing. With this, pedestrians are either forced to walk through a pavement congested with extensions of the shops or on the busy road itself. "I don't understand why the BMC is so obsessed with installing railings when the condition of footpaths is the worst. The idea of beautification in the BMC's book is to put up plants or install railings, and the rest is left to pedestrians. What about making uniform and walkable footpaths instead?" said Hiral S.
2019
Year BMC mooted the idea of railings for footpaths
