New road bridges in city open without footpaths for citizens, raising concerns over BMC’s commitment to walkability; pedestrians are now forced to walk dangerously close to fast-moving traffic
Reay Road bridge doesn’t have footpaths. Pic/Shadab Khan
With new road bridges in Mumbai opening without footpaths or dividers, citizens are questioning whether the BMC is quietly phasing out pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Recent examples include the new Vikhroli Road bridge, the Reay Road bridge, and upcoming Carnac bridge, none of which have proper walkways.
New bridges in Mumbai lacking footpaths represent serious negligence by the BMC, especially since many of these are replacing British-era structures that did have wide, spacious footpaths. Pedestrians are now forced to walk dangerously close to fast-moving traffic. Often, the problem isn’t considered during the design phase, and once the issue becomes apparent, the BMC offers inadequate ‘fixes’ like narrow guardrails or plastic barricades,” said Vedant Mhatre, programme director of the Walking Project.
New Reay Road cable-stayed bridge inaugurated on May 13 does not have footpaths. Pics/Ashish Raje
“As global cities widen footpaths and redesign streets to prioritise people, Mumbai is doing the opposite, shrinking walkable space to make room for traffic, even where road width doesn’t allow it,” Mhatre added. “This contradicts the city’s own 'Pedestrian First' policy. The city must stop prioritising the 11 per cent who drive and instead design for the 51 per cent who walk. All new bridges must include wide, safe footpaths as a fundamental requirement, not an afterthought.”
Activist and author Savitha Rao echoed this sentiment. “It’s disappointing that new bridges like Carnac are being built without footpaths. Cities like London, Singapore, and Tokyo treat pedestrian access as standard. Why should Mumbai settle for less? A world-class city must prioritise people, not just vehicles.”
New bridges in focus
Vikhroli Bridge: A 615-metre-long and 12-metre-wide east-west bridge with three vehicular lanes. It lacks a divider. While there is a footpath on the railway portion for east-west movement, its landings are not yet accessible.
Final touches underway at Carnac Bridge before opening
Reay Road Bridge: A 385-metre-long replacement bridge with six lanes and two down ramps. It has no footpaths. The higher elevation of the new bridge has also disconnected it from Reay Road station.
Carnac Bridge: The 328-metre-long east-west bridge (with 70 metres over railway premises) has four lanes, no footpath, and is yet to be opened to the public.
Teen Sawal with Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar
New road bridges seem to have no walkways. Has the BMC changed its policy on footpaths?
No, there is no shift in policy. Bridges are designed based on available space. In some cases, space constraints lead to exceptions, but there’s no general rule against footpaths.
But recently opened bridges don’t seem to have footpaths or dividers.
That’s not entirely true. For instance, the Gokhale Bridge includes footpaths and dividers. In the case of the Vikhroli Bridge, the design was aligned with the existing road width and had to account for the railway crossing.
Citizens are concerned about the erosion of pedestrian infrastructure.
Citizens shouldn’t worry. Pedestrian infrastructure remains a priority, and bridge design continues to be guided by multiple parameters, including available space and alignment constraints.
Citizens disappointed
Vedant Mhatre, programme director of the Walking Project
‘New bridges in Mumbai lacking footpaths represent serious negligence by the BMC, especially since many of these are replacing British-era structures that did have wide, spacious footpaths. Pedestrians are now forced to walk dangerously close to fast-moving traffic’
Savitha Rao, activist and author
‘It’s disappointing that new bridges like Carnac are being built without footpaths. Cities like London, Singapore, and Tokyo treat pedestrian access as standard. Why should Mumbai settle for less? A world-class city must prioritise people, not just vehicles’
51
Percentage of people who walk in the city
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