Two-wheelers parked on footpath near A Ward office break tactile tiles the civic body had laid out to aid differently-abled in the area; the tiles were made as part of BMC’s heritage cell project undertaken before the monsoon season in 2024 at various locations in A Ward
Bikes parked along the footpath. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A year after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) made the footpath along the high footfall area near Horniman Circle Garden in Fort, as part of a project to enhance walkability and create seamless pedestrian-friendly passages, the portion of this footpath with tactile tiles which are meant to help and guide persons with blindness outside the BMC’s A Ward office on Shahid Bhagat Singh Road has been broken due to parking of two-wheelers. This portion adjoins the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and other government and defence organisation buildings.
About the project
The tiles were made as part of BMC’s heritage cell project undertaken before the monsoon season in 2024 at various locations in A Ward. Unique features were added to this footpath, such as a seamless heritage look along with tactile tiles to aid the differently-abled. This tiling project was initiated as part of the larger “pedestrian first” policy of the BMC, mooted back in 2016-17. The pilot project by the heritage cell was done on MG Road in A ward in 2017, and subsequently it has been replicated on several other roads in the Fort area.
What caused damage
A senior civic official said, “Footpaths that were fitted even on MG road are still intact. Similarly, on the opposite side of Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, the tactile tiles are still intact. On this patch, all tactile tiles are broken due to two-wheelers, which are parked there every day.”
The damaged and dislodged tactile tiles that were installed about a year ago
The official said that the footpath was designed with tactile features to add to the pedestrian experience. At the time of designing, the tiles were fitted considering footfall in the area, and accounting for the weight of people walking on the footpath. However, two-wheelers now ply on this footpath repeatedly, and they are parked right outside the official buildings on the footpath.
“The tiles are not meant to bear the weight of plying and parked two-wheelers. They have begun to crack one by one. The problem is also that when one tile cracks, it loosens up those around it, and multiple tiles end up breaking due to the vehicular traffic,” an official said.
Even though the footpaths were designed and made only a year ago and the project is still in its defect liability period, replacing the tiles would involve the BMC paying additional money to the contractor, as the tiles have been broken due to undue human intervention, as opposed to shoddy work.
Official Speak
A senior official said, “We will contact the contractor and get the tiles fixed. But if bikes are still parked there, there is no guarantee they won’t break again. The contractor can claim payment for the repair work, but we can see if this can be done within the DLP.”
Jaydeep More, assistant commissioner (road), A Ward, told mid-day, “A Ward has informed the Mumbai traffic police about unauthorised parking on the footpath, which is a public amenity, regardless of which agency is parking on it. A letter is being drafted again.”
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