Mumbai: Visually impaired residents injured after buses block footpath outside Jogeshwari hostel

No parking sign displayed at the site

Jogeshwari's MNB Industrial Home for the Blind, a hostel for visually impaired students and residents, continues to face problems due to private buses being parked adjacent to its premises, creating serious accessibility and safety concerns.

The "illegally parked" buses have become a persistent menace for visually impaired and low-vision residents who walk between Jogeshwari railway station and the hostel.

Following a mid-day's June 30 report highlighting the issue, the Mumbai Traffic Police installed a ‘No Parking' sign near the footpath outside the premises. However, residents say private buses continue to be parked next to the signboard.

Obstacles ahead

The bus parked right outside the Jogeshwari's Home for Blind. PICS/ADITI ALURKAR

The problem first came to light after visually impaired pedestrians using walking sticks failed to detect parts of the buses because of their height. Residents have reportedly bumped into parked vehicles and suffered injuries. Residents with low vision also say the shadows cast by the large vehicles make it difficult for them to identify the road and obstacles ahead.

Help sought

MNB officials have written to the authorities regarding the issue, but the problem continues. Residents say the installation of the ‘No Parking' board alone has done little. "These buses also obscure the footpath in front of our premises, leading to anti-social activities like drinking in public," said Mayank Shekhar, CEO at MNB Industrial Home for the Blind.

Mishaps and injuries

"We avoid the footpath because oftentimes it is full of garbage," said MNB resident Charles Rao. In July, Charles suffered a forehead injury after colliding with a parked bus. "The driver had left the bus door open. My stick naturally missed it because bus doors are higher, and before I knew it, I banged against the door, and my forehead began bleeding," he told mid-day. Several other MNB residents have also reported falls, bumps and injuries due to the parked buses.

Official Speak

When mid-day contacted the Oshiwara Traffic Police, officials said the bus operators had already been fined. They further added that the buses were also taken off from the spot as of Thursday evening.