Beautification row: New dividers eating into road space

In the first of our three-part series, we look at how the BMC’s initiative might end up crowding out pedestrians from major city roads

The beautification drive taken up by the BMC has led to a major upheaval as dividers which were in good shape are being uprooted to make way for new tall ones, ostensibly to avoid jaywalkers. Though well-intentioned, this is leading to two problems. The first is that citizens are not able to cross the roads easily. The second and more important one is that the gaps between the dividers are being used by two-wheelers and auto rickshaws to make U-turns, thus leading to traffic disruption.

Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said that the reason they were removing flat dividers and installing tall ones instead is to stop people from crossing roads anywhere which leads to traffic disruption and may also lead to accidents. An official added that they are keeping gaps at adequate distances so people can cross the road from the designated places. 

Citizen activists, however, are of the view that the move is a waste of public money and gives preference to motorists, instead of pedestrians. 

New, tall dividers installed on SV Road in Malad West. Pic/Satej Shinde

“Flat dividers are being obliterated under the new onslaught of the R1,700-crore Mumbai beautification project. A dense city like Mumbai needs frequent crossing of pedestrians. These are city roads, not highways. Raised dividers are only car-friendly and send a message against anybody who does not go point to point in cars,” said Rishi Aggarwal, who launched the Walking Project—an ambitious attempt to give Mumbai the best walking environment.

Also Read: Mumbai: BMC creates gap in divider outside Churchgate station

Human rights activist Mohammed Afzal said, “In one sense it is ok, but it would be difficult for senior citizens who will have to walk 250 metres or so to cross the road now. Secondly, I have been insisting that zebra crossings with thermoplastic paint should be applied wherever pedestrian crossing is given. Thirdly, in the BMC apex committee meetings, we have been demanding for disabled-friendly footpaths for the entire suburbs, but nothing has changed yet. Here the footpaths are more than 14-inches high, which is not just difficult for the disabled, but also for senior citizens. After years of pressing for disabled-friendly footpath, as a pilot project, a small step was erected on the footpath opposite Andheri station for the convenience of citizens. But this needs to be replicated across the city.” 

Arun Sidhu, a Kandivli resident

ExpertSpeak

“Medians can be developed as beautification elements but are primarily safety elements, designed to maintain traffic flow and order. However, it is imperative that medians not be built in isolation, but with regards to the context they are placed in. If designed incorrectly, they can act as dividers and barriers between communities living on two sides of a street and may also act as a deterrent to people crossing the street based on desire lines in active urban areas," said Abhimanyu Prakash, regional lead, Asia and Africa, Global Designing Cities Initiative—a partner under the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety. 
He added that the Global Street Design Guide, a publication endorsed by the City of Mumbai, recommends that in dense urban areas like in Mumbai, pedestrian crossings should be placed every 80-100 metres and definitely not more than 200 m apart. Hence, while creating median dividers, it is critical to consider frequent midblock crossings with refuge islands and traffic  signals where need be, to create safe and permeable neighbourhoods in our city.

Test drive

A mid-day team recently travelled between Andheri and Dahisar in the western suburbs to see the locations where beautification work is ongoing. The correspondents also spoke to locals to gauge their reaction. There were many places where flat dividers which were in good shape and even had plants in the median strip were being uprooted so the tall ones could be installed.

80
Distance (in metres) to be kept between gaps in divider

SV Road, Malad West to Kandivli West

Newly installed dividers on SV Road in Malad West. Pic/Satej Shinde

While travelling along SV Road from Malad West to Kandivli West, the correspondents spotted several places where old dividers were being replaced. Though there were gaps, some citizens complained about facing problems while crossing the road as the height of the dividers has increased. 

Arun Bhakta, a 75-year-old who was crossing the road

A local shopkeeper who did not wish to be named said there was no need to replace the old dividers. “The old dividers were in good shape. I really don’t know why the authorities had to replace them with the new dividers. What they are doing is nothing but a waste of public money. The new dividers are vertical which make it difficult for people to cross the road.”

Charkop Road

A part of the Charkop Road has been closed for divider replacement work. Pic/Suraj Pandey

The situation was the same on Charkop Road in Kandivli West too. Anil A, a Charkop resident, said, “Under the name of beautification, the government is wasting public money by unnecessarily replacing dividers. If they really cared for people, they would concentrate on pedestrian safety and make the footpaths walkable and encroachment-free.”

Sunil Lakan, another local, said, “In the process of replacing the flat medians with the vertical ones, the width of the existing road decreases by a few inches. Rather than wasting money, the BMC should concentrate on upgrading the quality of the hospitals and other important public infra.”

SV Road to Link Road, Kandivli

The new dividers installed on MG Road in Kandivli. Pic/Suraj Pandey

Work to replace the dividers was in progress on the stretch which links SV Road and Link Road in Kandivli. It is pertinent to note that the new dividers occupy more space than the old ones, thus reducing the width of the road by a few inches. 
 
Arun Sidhu, a daily commuter who takes the road, said, “I was shocked to see that the dividers which were completely fine are being replaced with new ones. I do not understand the need for this when the old ones were not broken or damaged. They are wasting taxpayers’ money in the name of beautification.”  

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