Pedestrians need their Right to Walk Freely on Footpaths
Footpaths are shrinking by the day, thanks to encroachments by hawkers, two-wheeler parking and the mess following monsoon. Cluttered pavements and roads that do not have footpaths are increasingly turning into a danger zone. Statistics show that at least 50% of those killed in road accidents in Bangalore are pedestrians and that shrinking pavements are the main culprit.
A study on traffic and transportation policies and strategies in urban areas in India, commissioned by the Union ministry of urban development, says that an estimated 16% to 58% trips in Indian cities are made on foot. Higher index shows that pedestrian facilities are better in the city concerned.
However, at least 26% of the daily trips in Bangalore are done by walking and around 35% by public transport, which in turn depends on short walks (250 to 500m) to complete the journey. On roads like K G Road and Commercial Street, the walkers’ space should be above 2.5 metres. Contrary to this, in many places, the pavements are less than 0.6m.
Pedestrians are ignored by urban planners. They should be the heart of city’s planning exercise. We plan only for roads and flyovers and not for footpaths. This is the core of the problem.
Experts say that there is a failure of planning for pedestrians. Roads and flyovers are planned without considering the need of pedestrians. Only when pedestrians become the centre of planning will the problem be solved.
Monsoon poses a big threat to pedestrians as the clogged drains below the footpaths overflow during rains. The civic agencies remove the slabs to repair the drains, forcing the pedestrians to walk on the roads endangering their lives. After completing the desilting work, the silt removed is dumped on the footpath. Which again is risky for pedestrians.
As per the standards, the width of the footpaths should be at least 1.5m. However, pavements in many parts of the city are less than 0.8m. In order to make pavements a safer zone to walk, government has to take up a few initiatives. Licensing should be made strict and congestion charges have to be levied. Besides, vehicle registration has to be brought down.
The only solution is the change in planners’ mindset, which is the most important and fundamental change. Until pedestrian becomes the centre of planning, we cannot bring in change. The government authority, including planning authority, should consider pedestrians for every project they plan. Says Experts M N Sreehari, adviser to government on traffic and transport and V Ravichandar, managing director, Feedback Consulting.
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