In many places in the city footpaths do not technically exist, as they are either too narrow for people to walk on, or have been encroached by hawkers, forcing pedestrians onto the roads. And as a result, people sometimes get run over by speeding vehicles.
The Mumbai traffic police is in talks with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to find a solution to this problem. Meanwhile, traffic cops are making sure that those who park their vehicles on footpaths are penalised.
Ravi Jadhav, a stationery shop owner near Tulsi Pipe, says: "It is very common to hear loud noise of cars screeching to a halt to avoid hitting people walking on the road. The pavements are very narrow, and often you see buses parked on one side of the road and the barren walls of the railway on the other, and the blank passage–the no man's land—is occupied by hawkers who are often slum dwellers."
In such a scenario, how do pedestrians find their way? They often have to manoeuvre through this menagerie of vegetables vendors and other hawkers, who occupy every inch of the footpath in certain areas. It's in this process that speeding vehicles mow them down.
According to figures provided by traffic police, last year 481 fatal road mishaps were reported in the city in which 502 people died. Of those killed, 281 were pedestrians.
A traffic police officer, requesting anonymity, said: "It is a chain that leads to problems for pedestrians, motorists and cops. As hawkers occupy footpaths, pedestrians have no option but to walk on the roads, and this affects the smooth flow of traffic, leading to jams. In places where the traffic movement is smooth, an unsuspecting pedestrian, who is suddenly forced onto the road, is vulnerable to falling under some speeding wheels.
Pratap Dighavkar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said: "We have had several meetings with BMC officials and have asked them to take action against hawkers who occupy footpaths. We have also started a drive against illegal parking on footpaths."
According to cops, very few footpaths are being used exclusively by pedestrians. Most footpaths have been encroached upon in such an audacious manner that it is a shame that authorities just sit and watch.
"BMC does undertake operations to evict illegal hawkers and penalise them, but the effect lasts a day or two; the same people come back and occupy the same spots after some time. Near railway stations, it is almost impossible for people to walk. Some shop owners too encroach on footpaths and either extended their shops or keep materials outside. It is not the job of the traffic police to evict these illegal hawkers. So, we are talking to the BMC to find a solution to this problem," another traffic police officer said.
Prakash Shinde a cab driver on Ranade Road, said: "It takes cars at least 15-20 minutes to manoeuvre through this 1.5 km stretch. The pavements are occupied by hawkers and pedestrians are forced to walk on the road, slowing down traffic in the process."
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