Residents flag unsafe footpath and poor lighting near Wadala RTO

A streetlight pole that seems on the verge of collapsing on the stretch

Residents living near the Wadala RTO have raised concerns about a poorly maintained footpath and inadequate street lighting on Mukundrao Ambedkar Road.

A woman resident said, "The footpath does not feel safe to use while alone, and the lack of light makes things scarier. There have been multiple chain-snatching incidents on this stretch. We work till 10 pm some days, and there aren't many cabs plying at that time, so we always walk in groups if it gets too late."

Overgrown weeds and low-hanging branches along the footpath

She added that though the footpath is fairly wide, flower beds on it haven't been maintained and have started growing weeds. "The branches of overgrown trees also dangle low over the footpath."

Residents also flagged the presence of multiple abandoned vehicles lining the road, highlighting how they could be misused or lead to fire accidents and pointing to the irony of their proximity to the RTO.

Pedestrians opt to walk on Mukundrao Ambedkar Road instead of using the footpath. PIC/MADHULIKA RAM KAVATTUR

mid-day contacted the F North ward office of the BMC, but was told the stretch in question comes under the jurisdiction of MMRDA. The latter did not respond to queries by press time.

Residents speak

Reji Philips,
‘The poorly lit stretch lies between the Wadala Depot monorail station and Lodha building. We have contacted the BMC numerous times about barely functioning street lights and the footpath that is barely walkable, but we haven't received a response'

A taxi driver,
‘The lights work, but they barely illuminate the road. We need lights which work properly and actually show us what is on the road, because that isn't there, people feel unsafe walking and driving on the road'

Major problems

>> Inadequate lighting
>> Slanted Streetlight poles
>> Lack of footpath maintenance
>> Presence of abandoned vehicles