Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi: Why it is so difficult to walk in Indian cities
Citizen activists are taking unusual steps to push authorities for better pedestrian infrastructure.
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Walking
- Thread starter Analogous
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mahaaprasaad
Well-Known Member
Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi: Why it is so difficult to walk in Indian cities
Citizen activists are taking unusual steps to push authorities for better pedestrian infrastructure.
Dancing Over Bengaluru's Broken Footpaths
(Same from Facebook )
franklinshaw
New Member
with music
This situation needs to change in India. I hope it will.
It’s not a motorists vs pedestrians situation as is commonly portrayed.
Even motorists need to park and walk, every single time in public spaces.
All motorists are pedestrians too.
Pedestrian safety is safety for motorists too.
The much acclaimed recent highway, flyover and bridge builds do not have footpaths or alternate provisions.
Crossing a road on foot during peak traffic in cities is probably the single most dangerous act in our daily lives for most of us.
It’s not a motorists vs pedestrians situation as is commonly portrayed.
Even motorists need to park and walk, every single time in public spaces.
All motorists are pedestrians too.
Pedestrian safety is safety for motorists too.
The much acclaimed recent highway, flyover and bridge builds do not have footpaths or alternate provisions.
Crossing a road on foot during peak traffic in cities is probably the single most dangerous act in our daily lives for most of us.
Road traffic deaths
India, 202114.6Number of road traffic deaths per 100 000 population
India
Health data overview for India, containing the latest population, life expectancy and mortality data from WHO.
(This is only data for deaths. Injuries and disability among survivors are likely much higher and often have long term impacts)
Another uncomfortable and inconvenient (to some) data
Bengaluru must shun car-centric planning: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinio...&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialshare
I truly hope so too. I prefer to walk everywhere I need to go, even for work. I rarely take my car out at all (and I don't own a 2-wheeler). If I need faster transportation, I take my cycle (our Metro lets us take carry cycles, and that too without extra charges).
IMHO, the true indication of a well-planned and citizen-first city is the quality and availability of its public transportation, and by extension, how pedestrian-friendly its roads are.
In Race to Build Metro Trains, How Indian Cities Ignored Larger Mobility Issue
Larger projects using public funds are preferred by those whose aim is to profit from these.Making and maintaining sidewalks is not a headline grabber and the scope for kickbacks and crazy big cost contracts is poor.
But the big questions (to remind ourselves) are: who decides in our name while proclaiming its for our best interests, how did they decide, and why do we get hoodwinked time and again?
We then console ourselves with “Sab chor hain”, “there is no other alternative”, whataboutery or “it’s all the fault of ….. (add your long dead politician or ruler)”
If politicians are experts in everything why do we need Urban planning specialists, or economists or …( add your favourite speciality related to human development)
Mediocrity and incompetence seems to be the norm in most aspects of public life. And we accept it with equanimity or brief outrage or denial.’
In Race to Build Metro Trains, How Indian Cities Ignored Larger Mobility Issue
Explained: What does the poor ridership figures of metro trains say about the broader public transport problem of our cities?
General_sound
Well-Known Member
Sadly pedestrian and even bicycle mobility has been given no thought by many city planners. Dedicated pedestrian and cycle lanes , if existing at all , are used by motor cycle riders or encroached. Let us hope, as e move forward, that these issues are resolved.
vnmathur57
Active Member
See What has happened to the footpaths! All taken over by hawkers, in every city. India has become a nation of hawkers, they are every where. So even if new footpaths or bicycle lanes are built, in no time they will be taken over by hawker and street food stalls.
The secret to good public policy is simplicity
We need to make good urbanism the path of least resistance.
If walking on our footpaths are difficult for people in general, one cannot imagine what a nightmare it is with the uneven footpaths with broken tiles for the blind and aged people. Certain footpaths even have deep holes but this seems oblivious for the concerned authorities.
“Hawkers” or street vendors are just poor people, who can’t afford to rent shops, trying to make a living selling whatever sells at that location (vegetables, cheap clothes, footwear, mobile phone accessories, helmets etc)
They are found in every city, locality and small towns all over the country.
They often have to pay regular protection money to someone or other to be allowed to operate.
They do occupy sidewalks if they exist, near bus stops, train stations.
Urban planning in India ignores their existence and consequently makes no provision for them.
Unlike auto, taxi drivers, or delivery agents they are not organised and hence are not considered a vote bank for any politician.
They need small places at strategic locations, legally provided by local government while keeping footpaths (where they exist) free for pedestrians.
In a country full of intelligent people, brilliant people like us, this should be possible?
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