Mid-Day Opinion: Footpaths are for pedestrians. Full stop

Pic/Special Arrangement

The BMC has put its best foot forward by implementing its ‘Pedestrian First' campaign across Mumbai, with Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide directing civic officials to remove unauthorised hawkers, encroachments and other obstructions from footpaths to ensure they remain accessible and safe for pedestrians, news reports across stated.

There was an on-site inspection in the K West and P South administrative wards in the city's western suburbs to assess the progress of the drive and review the condition of footpaths in key locations.

The aim is to improve pedestrian mobility and enhance road safety. A number of roads have been marked for initial action. With encroachment removal, footpath infra repairs and beautification has been cited.

The campaign has been long overdue. This edits space has highlighted encroachments, and structures that have in fact been ‘allowed' to come up illegally on public spaces, being there for years, before action is taken by civic authorities. Pedestrian First sounds extremely good to the ear, but it was certainly not put into practice here in Mumbai, with Pedestrian Last seeming like the policy.

For this to succeed, uprooted encroachments need to be cleaned completely. Debris cannot be yet another obstruction as that would mean pedestrians jump from the frying pan into the fire. The drive has to be consistent with those cleared out, unable to return to the same spot. Finally, pavements itself should be walkable, easy to access, smooth and not stretches were people slip and trip. The intent, initiative is good but make it sustained, meaningful and feasible for it to fulfill its true purpose.