We all know that our Bangalore is growing fast and civic authorities are planning a massive road-widening project across the city. But footpaths are either full of parked four wheelers or debris leftover by BBMP construction works. The narrow footpaths we have are already blocked at points by transformers, trees, piles of garbage and vehicles.
Roads are meant for vehicular movement and footpaths for pedestrian walk. But you can see this reversed near main roads or traffic signals. We cannot name a specific area because this scene is seen all over Bangalore. I personally experienced this near Madiwala, BTM and Indiranagar. In Indiranagar 80 Feet Road, there are no road dividers and pedestrians often have to cross the road to reach the bustops. You can observe this by getting down at Thippasandra Main Road between 9 am to 10 am, when traffic is high in this area. I even see senior citizens finding it difficult to cross the road and when they try to cross the road, motorists honk and disturb them.
In Indiranagar 80 Feet Road opposite Spencer Super Market, people often have to hurry to catch the bus or you will get scolded by the conductor if they delay getting in. Adding salt to wound, auto drivers overtake these bus from the left side while passengers are trying to get into the bus. This often results in either verbal duels with auto drivers or missing your bus.
Bus commuters take a long time to cross the road that they often miss catching their bus.
Drivers and pedestrians should be disciplined on the road. But in some signals like BTM Udupi Garden, Madiwala Ayyappa Temple, Indiranagar, two wheelers don’t stop when signal turns red. In some cases, pedestrians are verbally abused by two wheeler drivers for not leaving enough space in footpath for them to ride freely.
In short, in Bangalore footpath is used for parking vehicles, as a special track for two-wheelers or a place for dumping residential waste or debris of construction work. This is putting pedestrians at grave risk. Footpaths along many roads are broken and in some places, there is no footpath at all. Pedestrians on Indian roads are not respected. We should remember pedestrians too have rights and they are saving environment by using public transport. ⊕
Really true Mr. Rakesh. Pedestrians lack the basic amenities they must get in a city. Footpaths are place for two wheelers-the place where the 2 wheelers overtake the 4 and 6 wheelers-they also serve as parking space-Flyovers are built for free movement of vehicles but no place to cross the road-subways should be built for pedestrians in each and every place having a flyover/underpass to ensure their safety.
Bus stops are meant for stopping buses-but autos generally stop there. A spell of rain is sufficient for 2 wheelers also to get into-and how do people board the bus. The basic thing that lacks in minds of people is civic sense-If they have a little bit of humanity towards others major problems in city would be solved by themselves