Mumbai
The thousands that walk to and from Malad station along SV Road and the internal station road every day say it is "missing".
Updated : Jan 31, 2019, 06:05 AM IST
One could criticise the footpath in the western suburb of Malad — if it existed. The thousands that walk to and from Malad station along SV Road and the internal station road every day say it is "missing".
There is a strip at the side of the main road that used to function as a pavement but large bits of it are gone, and what is left is a patchwork of chipped, eroded stones.
Even the disintegrated space has been encroached upon by shopkeepers who have made unauthorised extensions as well as vendors, crowding out the already cramped passage.
The footpath on the internal road has also been taken over by small traders selling clothes, snacks and electronics. Many display their products on the footpath, or rent the space outside to vendors who ply right on the pavement.
Left with no option, many pedestrians walk through chawls and slums, only adding to the tedium of slow-moving traffic near the Malad station area.
Shreeja Mahambre, who has lived in the suburb for 23 years, said the absence of this crucial infrastructure in a city like Mumbai , where a bulk of commuters have to walk the so-called last mile to their respective destinations, has made life difficult indeed.
"To those residing in within a kilometre of the station, auto drivers refuse to ply as it is such a short fare. So they are left to walk it to the station, which is painful amid this disorder. I stay near Liberty Garden, and during the evening peak hour, it takes around 15 minutes for a distance of 1,100 metres."
The main road outside Malad station is narrow, and there's no sign of a pavement down the whole stretch. Considerable space has been occupied by an auto stand.
Wares on display & food shops on footpath block passage for pedestrians
15 minutes Walking time between NL College-Malad station
10 minutes Time it used to take, when traffic was better
Sanjog Kabare, BMC ward officer, P-North Ward, said: "We have been taking action against encroachments and hawkers regularly to ensure footpaths are accessible to pedestrians. Widening on SV Road is proposed and we are in the process of rehabilitating shop owners who need to be moved for the project. There will still be those who encroach footpaths but we are taking regular action against those, at least in my ward."
STUDENTS RUE THE WALK TO COLLEGE
I travel daily from Malad station to NL College but traffic on SV Road and absence of footpaths makes the walk painful. On station road, footpaths have been encroached by shop owners and hawkers, while on SV Road, there is no sign of a footpath down the whole stretch.
— Bhargav Patoria, Dahisar resident
For the past one year, I commute to NL College from Malad East via Malad station, but I am compelled to walk through the chawls near the station to avoid going through the crowded SV Road and the station road, where there is no space to walk.
— Anuj Desai, Malad resident
The problem for pedestrians has been there for years. Not just I but hundreds of students walk via narrow lanes abutting on the chawls of Malad station. The distance is hardly a km but it takes a lot of time to reach my college (NL College) as there is hardly any space to walk.
— Harsh Jain, Malad resident