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Pedestrians at mercy of motorists
Apathy towards pedestrians by successive governments and lack of will on the part of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) engineering wing to ensure footpaths/walkways in the city were resulting in at least two deaths every day.
​Hyderabad: Apathy towards pedestrians by successive governments and lack of will on the part of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) engineering wing to ensure footpaths/walkways in the city were resulting in at least two deaths every day.
There is not a single 'pedestrian useable footpath' in GHMC limits even though there are footpaths along the stretch of 187 km city roads officially in the city. Strangely, not a single footpath/walkway has been constructed in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Indian Road Congress (IRC).
Surprisingly, there is no footpath in the city that suits the needs of specially-abled persons who travel in a wheelchair.
According to Hyderabad Traffic Police, about 11,058 road accidents have been reported in the city since 2012. Of the 1,821 causalities till date, more than 700 were pedestrians. However, sources in RTA said that one must not forget that there could be at least two accidents that go unreported in which fatalities may or may not occur on the day of accident.
As per IRC guidelines, every walkable footpath should be at least 3.5 m wide and 6 inches in height. But the civic body had been maintaining uneven heights ranging from 0 to 2 feet and a width of about 2 feet.
Experts and non-government organisations that work for the safety of people claim that Hyderabad can never become a global destination if it continues to ignore 75 per cent of its people who are pedestrians for the sake of seven per cent motorists in GHMC limits.
They questioned the rationale of GHMC officials in demolishing footpaths to carry out road widening works. Experts have also pointed out the approach of government departments in placing transformers, generators, saplings, security guard rooms on footpaths, which is the exclusive domain of pedestrians.
They allege that the government itself has encroached several footpaths in the city.Speaking to The Hans India, Vaada Foundation founder and president Suresh Raju pointed out that not a single footpath in the city was either 'walkable' or continuous. He said GHMC authorities failed in creating awareness among citizens about the necessity of a footpath. He said in order to facilitate motorists; the corporation authorities have been demolishing the existing walkways.
“How can Hyderabad become a global destination when it lacks basic infrastructure like footpath?” he said. He further added that constructing footpaths was not a rocket science, but common sense. He said criminal cases should be filed on all footpath encroachers who have grabbed government property, most importantly the rights of the citizens.
The Vaada founder also pointed out that there is no single stretch of footpath in the city which would help the specially-abled to travel unhindered in a wheel chair.
By: Maddy Deekshith
