Mumbai residents miffed as BMC yet to construct on Andheri-Ghatkopar Link road

The section of Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road that lacks a proper footpath, on Sunday. Pics/Shadab Khan

A congested 500-metre stretch at Ghatkopar West on the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road is giving pedestrians a headache as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to construct a proper footpath there. A resident, K B Raghavan, told mid-day that the stretch between Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg junction and Sarvoday hospital junction, which sees heavy traffic, is a dangerous route for senior citizens and children.

Civic activist Sachin Manjrekar said the stretch was developed around 15 years ago, but the civic body has not constructed a full-length footpath on either side of the road. "The BMC self-parked a solid waste compactor on the road, which is an obstruction for pedestrians. I don't know why the civic body hasn't been able to construct a full-length footpath in the past 15 years," he said.

Manjrekar added, "During peak hours, pedestrians don't have space to walk, so they step onto the road. At one place, a small drain runs parallel to the road, which is not even properly maintained." A senior citizen who didn't want to wish to be identified, said, "There is a need for proper footpaths. This road connects to Ghatkopar railway station via LBS Marg. Also, a huge number of schoolchildren use this stretch."

T S Shetty, another senior citizen, said, "I don't use this road regularly, but it seems that walking on it is a task, even on a Sunday afternoon. There is a footpath from LBS Marg, but it comes to an end after a few metres, forcing us to walk on the road. A proper footpath is needed." The BMC announced a ‘pedestrian-first' policy in 2019. The then-municipal commissioner had decided to implement this policy after having a bad experience related to footpaths.

Manjrekar said despite the policies that exist on paper, across Mumbai, pedestrians are compelled to walk on the road due to the absence of footpaths. Gajanan Bellale, the assistant municipal commissioner of N ward, did not respond to mid-day's messages by press time.

2019
Year pedestrian-first policy was announced