Two-wheeler riders must steer clear of footpaths

Representation pic

Given the resonance that infrastructure has in our city, touching lives across, it is not surprising that our edit yesterday, about the Supreme Court on Friday, June 19, in a judgment, declaring the freedom to walk on demarcated and well-maintained footpaths a fundamental right, evoked considerable response. Our editorial stated that the highest court in the country had to intervene and pass a judgment on something so basic and taken for granted, or as a right in other countries, is extremely telling.

We said that authorities need to make our pavements/footpaths accessible. While the onus does fall on our city/civic leaders to make usable pavements, we can also relook at ourselves. Bikers climb onto pavements as if they are a special road for them and zip across different buildings, getting away from main road traffic.

Bollards have been installed on a number of pavements, but with that, we have presented difficulties for our wheelchair users who may get on the pavement because of a slope, but bollards do not allow them to go through. This is a shameful commentary on bikers riding on pavements, who are solely responsible for cutting access for another demographic and endangering them.

In the few patches where footpaths are accessible, let us use them and desist from walking on the road, in the line of vehicles. Let us not use pavement corners as garbage bins, like we see in certain places with rubbish conveniently strewn all along, or in a corner. While our footpaths can certainly do with work, we also need to use available infra for our safety and ensure that we keep within the rules ourselves.