29 June,2026 11:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MS
A novelty shop in Vile Parle East, which defies the stated aim of the policy to provide “safe, continuous, uninterrupted, and dedicated passages for mobility of pedestrians”. File Pic/Nimesh Dave
[popcorn number="685 junctions" desc=" No. of traffic junctions in the city" class="Default"]
The Supreme Court on June 19 declared the freedom to walk on demarcated and well-maintained footpaths a fundamental right which has priority over movement by motorised vehicles. A decade since the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mooted its âPedestrian-First Policy' with optimistic promises of making Mumbai's footpaths safe and friendly for pedestrians, the guidelines remain unimplemented.
This has led experts and citizens to question the effectiveness of policies and the civic body's resolve to take action to improve the walkability index of the city.
In November 2025, BMC selected 14 locations across the city as a pilot project to design model footpaths, as per its Universal Footpath Policy. Depending on the success of this project, it would be scaled to design all footpaths across the city the same way. However, this project, too, is yet to take off.
Experts have pointed to a lack of concerted efforts from the administration and elected representatives to examine how footpaths are designed. They have pointed out that the width and the design of footpaths in Mumbai remain the biggest challenge.
An official told mid-day, "Policies are functional but get topped up with newer demands and have to accommodate new projects, which leads to a lack of clarity about the fine print of what should and should not be implemented regarding footpaths. Several projects are taken up at the ward level, with area-specific demands that need urgent implementation."
>> To provide "safe, continuous, uninterrupted, and dedicated passages for mobility of pedestrians"
>> Footpath planning should minimise conflict between pedestrians and vehicular movement
>> Footpaths should be regarded as part of the transportation system, which is connected and continuous, just like roads
>> They should not be intermittently placed, wherever convenient, but should be consistently along the road
After the Universal Footpath Policy was finalised in 2023, several portions of the footpaths on SV Road that were made in 2024 and 2025 did not adhere to the width and height guidelines listed in the policy, experts pointed out.
>> The Universal Footpath Policy provides detailed guidelines across these aspects of footpath design: Surface, width, obstructions (such as lights, trees, bins, post boxes, and licensed hawkers), encroachments (all informal commercial activities), and continuity of footpaths
>> Guidelines for use of bollards, guardrails, overhanging obstructions, height of curbs, level changes in case of design obstructions, such as entrances of buildings and traffic junctions
>> Guidelines to ensure continuity in directions for pedestrians at traffic junctions. There are 685 traffic junctions in the city
2016 The BMC finalised its Pedestrian-First Policy, and a detailed nine-page guidelines was published to bring uniformity in the construction and maintenance of footpaths
2017 and 2019 The BMC further enhanced this policy with additional circulars covering engineering and design aspects of footpaths
2023 The BMC drafted its Universal Footpath Policy with overarching promises to make footpaths accessible and enhance walkability, enhancing the Pedestrian-First Policy.
2023 The BMC finalised its trenching policy, with dedicated guidelines for trenching of footpaths to ensure they were reinstated as per the standard design after work on utilities
2025 The BMC set aside Rs 100 crore in the 2025-26 for budget its implementation.
>> Encroachments: All encroachments should be removed by following the legal procedure. There should be a minimum width of 1.2 m for pedestrians to walk uninterrupted
>> Obstructions: All obstructions should be on one side of the footpath to give citizens a clear, uninterrupted walkway
>> Continuity: Colour-coded kerb ramps should be provided
>> Width: A minimum of 1.2 m should be consistently maintained for walking along the footpath
>> Surface: The surface of the footpath should not provide tripping hazards in the form of manhole covers or slopes
>> Kerb: The height of the kerb should not be more than 150 mm, avoiding a sudden change in levels
