WHY FOOTPATHS IN INDIA ARE BECOMING EXTINCT

Arjun Mahishi

Footpaths are supposed to be a safe place for all the pedestrians to walk on. It is
called a Foot-path because it is meant only for using your foot as a means of
transport. In the beginning when the footpaths started (whenever that is) they were
big and safe. Which is clearly not the case now.

Why footpaths are not being used as much

anymore ?

The footpaths are conquered by vehicles (most

common)
They are lumped with stones, which is to be used in a construction site

they are occupied by construction worker's houses

They are blocked by health hazarding obstacles (sharp long metal beams and
stuff)
So these are the kind of things that keep humans away from the footpaths. We
would rather find it easy to walk on the side of the roads than footpaths.

What would an ideal footpath be?

People should really stop considering footpaths as a parking lots. Because footpaths
are for people not vehicles. Stones can be dumped elsewhere. The construction
workers can perhaps settle down somewhere else. Extending the size of the
footpaths would really help.
REF:
http://teckguide.blogspot.in/2014/10/why-footpaths-in-india-are-becomingextinct.html#

Hail the pedestrian, widen footpath, not roads

Senthalir S, TNN | Feb 1, 2011, 12.51AM IST

BANGALORE: The road-widening, tree-chopping spree by the city corporation has left
precious little room for the pedestrian. Where is our space, is the question that haunts
every citizen who gets around on foot. Even footpaths have become the territory of
motorists. Hasiru Usiru, an environmental group, in its mobility manifesto has
underlined that most pavements are unusable because of poor quality surface, slopes,
very steep access points (often one foot high), and encroachments by parking and
moving vehicles (two-wheelers), electric transformers and illegal constructions. This
forces pedestrians to walk on the road alongside and even jaywalk between vehicles. On
the other hand, in market areas, the footpath is completely occupied by hawkers, and in
others, inconsiderate two-wheeler riders use it as part of the road.The state government
had allocated Rs 3,000 crore to improve footpaths and roads through the Bruhat
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike in the 2010-11 budget. For modernization and
development of footpaths in the Central Business District alone, BBMP had allocated Rs
20 crore, and an additional Rs 24 crore was allocated for development of footpaths in
other areas. However, development and modernization seems to be only on paper.V
Ravichandar, chairman, Feedback Consulting, underlined that for every two trips a
person makes to his workplace, one trip is on foot. BBMP's plan to develop more signalfree corridors has only led to road widening. Roads connecting Bangalore International
Airport and the Okalipuram-Yeshwanthpur signal-free corridor have failed to take
cognizance of the pedestrian as a road user.VEHICLES vs WALKERS Hasiru Usiru has
highlighted that there are 5,00,000 cars carrying only 7% of the population in the city,
which means that only 9 lakh people use cars. However, 38 lakh people commute in
5,500 BMTC buses and use footpaths to reach school, college, their place of work, or
home.Experts feel that the flaw lies in planning, and the solution can be sought only
through pedestrian-centric planning of the city. The city is for all, and the physically
challenged and senior citizens should also be considered while planning roads. At
present, uneven and narrow footpaths pose a danger for pedestrians.Instead of widening
roads, experts suggest widening of pedestrian walkways, and developing pedestrian
zones on streets with high density of walkers, like Gandhi Bazaar, Church Street,
Commercial Street, Avenue Road, MG Road and Brigade Road. To reduce the number of
private vehicles, the cost of parking should go up, they say.
REFERENCE:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Hail-the-pedestrianwiden-footpath-not-roads/articleshow/7400207.cms

Where are the footpaths? A case for protecting

pedestrian rights in India
By Himadri Das and Sahana Goswami

January 6, 2014

A woman walks among motorized traffic in Bangalore, India. Pedestrian rights are often ignored
across India due to a lack in legal provisions for pedestrians, forcing them to walk alongside fast
moving traffic at great risk to their lives. Photo by jchessma/Flickr. Cropped.

Indias constitution guarantees every citizen a fundamental right to move freely throughout the
country. Today, this right is violated in most cities, as pedestrian infrastructure has taken a
backseat in the planning of Indian cities. Traditional Indian cities with compact development,
mixed-use areas, and walkable streets are being dismantled and redeveloped to make way for
sprawling cities and unending roads that cater to private automobiles. Policy recommendations
and design directives borrowed from automobile dependent, developed nations are changing the
form, structure, and context of modern Indian cities. Pedestrians are losing space on roads and
on-street parking often takes precedent over pedestrian infrastructure like paved sidewalks.
In order to reverse these trends and uphold the constitutional right of every Indian citizen to
unimpeded, safe mobility, the country needs a detailed document outlining pedestrian rights and
how to enforce them.

Walking: An essential component of Indian cities

In urban India, 28% of all trips are made on foot and walking has the highest share of any other
mode of transport. Thus, the absence of constitutional rights for pedestrians disenfranchises
large sections of the population for whom walking is often the only option for mobility.
Walking in urban India currently requires tricky negotiation through a series of obstacles and
impediments, which often necessitates risking ones safety or sometimes, ones life. Pedestrian
neglect in Indian cities is not just an issue of low prioritization and poor implementation of
pedestrian amenities, but also a reflection of a larger systemic issue: the absence of a
comprehensive set of legal rights and remedies for pedestrians in India. This situation is
especially precarious for vulnerable groups like the elderly or children.

Limited legal protection for Indian pedestrians is inadequate

Legally, there are some avenues that offer protection to pedestrians, including the Motor Vehicles
Act (1988); the Indian Penal Code (1860), which provides for the penalizing of rash driving by
motorists who put pedestrians at risk; and the Rules of the Road Regulation (1989), which
outlines the responsibilities of motorists with respect to pedestrians. Most recently, the National
Road Safety and Traffic Management Board Bill (2010) mandates the Board to provide special
requirements for women, children, senior citizens, disabled persons, and pedestrians relating to
road safety and traffic management on national highways. While these laws provide some legal
protection to people walking on streets, they are inadequate due to two major reasons:
1.

The regulations are framed as a set of suggested responsibilities, not requirements, for
motorists.

2.

In the absence of defined rights for pedestrians, neither municipal authorities nor private
motorists bear any legal responsibility for the environment that is generated by their actions.

Worldwide advocacy efforts for pedestrian rights

Across the world, the significance of developing better and safer pedestrian facilities is becoming
well understood. The United Nations (UN) has designated 2011-2020 as the Decade of Action for
Road Safety, with the goal of saving 5 million lives worldwide, and other organizations like
the Zenani Mandela Foundation are campaigning for pedestrian and road safety to be included in
the upcoming UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Europe, the emphasis on road
safety and developing a better pedestrian environment has been taken even further by
the European Charter of Pedestrians Rights, which was adopted in 1988 by the European
Parliament. An excellent example for countries like India, the Charter explicitly outlines rights of
pedestrians in urban and village centers, including the right to live in a healthy environment, have
access to amenities within walking or cycling distance, and the right to complete and unimpeded
mobility.

Taking action: Pedestrian rights document needed to uphold fundamental

rights
While defining the legal rights of Indian pedestrians in terms of the amenities and services each
pedestrian is entitled to is important, an enforceable set of regulations for private motorists
should also be enacted to help reduce conflict between pedestrians and motorized traffic. This
would contribute to creating a safer environment surrounding city roads in India, especially
through ensuring the safety of vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly. Since walking
is something we all do, a document detailing the rights of pedestrians is needed to ensure the
safety of pedestrians and reinforce the fundamental rights of all Indians to move freely throughout
the territory of India.
REF:
http://thecityfix.com/blog/where-are-footpaths-case-protecting-pedestrian-rights-india-himadridas-sahana-goswami/

Life Of The Indian Footpath

July 08, 2012

In India, reserving a footpath solely for walking is a blasphemous idea.

Instead, its a platform to showcase diverse talent.
In India, reserving a footpath (wherever existent) solely for walking is a blasphemous
idea. Instead, its a platform to showcase diverse talent and hence serve a greater
purpose.
In an upscale locality, the rather premium red-tiled footpath begins service for the day by
sole kissing expensive Nike trainers of the iPod-clipped-women-in-shorts kind, and their
male equivalents. Their upscale dogs tugging along also exhibit status by intimidating
the stray community which rule the footpath after dark to sheepishly withdraw
dominance, at least for those few morning hours. Occasionally, verbal clashes between
the two classes of dogs occur. Oh and yes, for the trees that stand by the sides, this is
the time theyre blessed with some upscale dog nutrient.
Simultaneously in the neighborhood slum dwelling, one footpath forms the first line of
control: between the slum and the upscale neighborhood. The slum is official residence
for the back-office staff of wealthy Indian households drivers, house helps et al. This
wider footpath, formed by wear and tear of the ground, is where inhabitants primarily
answer calls. First are mobile phone calls due to lack of signal penetration in their
makeshift homes, and second (and more prominently), natures calls. Ive often
contemplated the possibility of huge deposits of crude directly underneath. By night, it
becomes the slums official playground at one end, and casino at the other, both being lit
very generously by street lights while they work, and stolen-electricity lamps when they
dont.

With all the above taken into account, we in India dont intend to serve you by the side of
our excretory deposits. Thats why weve put business on the other side of a different
footpath adjoining the commercial zone, thus forming the second line of control. It
branches out together with the streets into more footpaths, and as you hop and skip
through, youll discover that amazing athlete in you. Youll be struck by the vivacity of
Indias greatest retail industry housed here. Divide their total income by the cumulative
sum of space occupied, and youll be staggered by the revenue-per-square-foot; so much
it just might surpass that of Apples retail division. From cosmetics to garments, cell
phones to computer hardware, cutlery to cookware, and grocery to general household
supplies everythings under a few (umbrella) roofs. To further pamper the shopping
experience, after every few meters is a cool bar selling tea, soda, paan and cigarettes.
Seasonally, there are hills of mangoes and grapes, among the more common fruits and
vegetables. There is also a thriving services industry; shoe shiners, barbers, street
jugglers, acrobats, musicians and the more exciting tarot readers. In case guilt
encroaches your lavish spending there will be vagrants awaiting generosity.
Twined with all this commotion, product promotions yelling out prices at best bargains
happen as enthusiastically as the owner/salesmen themselves. Retailers here also find
innovative ways in raising capital e.g. by sale of Ad space on tree barks and lampposts
beside their outlets. They assume that for some reason, youll want everything they have
to sell. With customer-centric pricing in play, look upper class and youre expected to pay
more, unless you win the bargain game. On reaching a mutual agreement on the price, if
you change your mind, prepare to get cursed!
Larger footpaths around the area double up as parking lots. In a rapidly developing India,
construction sites are inevitable, and the owners have exclusive rights to use the
footpaths around for storing gravel and construction equipment. If any of that is not
present, at least be sure to find a cow lying on the footpath and chewing its cud like a
boss.
Obviously, all this pressure takes its toll on the feebly built concrete blocks. If youre
lucky you may end up not slipping into a sewer through the fault lines.

REF:http://www.the-nri.com/life/lifestyle/life-of-the-indian-footpath