Activist files PIL for rights of pedestrians

Bombay HC, PIL in Bombay HC, rights of pedestrians, Citizen activist Qaneez Sukhrani, footpath guidelines, Indian Road Congress, road safety, pedestrians safety, who is Qaneez Sukhrani, indian express news

Megha Maske who has researched the subject stated that PMC’s neglect of footpaths is dereliction of duty that has put pedestrians in danger. (Express File Photo)

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Activist files PIL for rights of pedestrians

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Citizen activist Qaneez Sukhrani has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bombay High Court to seek enforcement of pedestrian rights and also implementation of footpath guidelines of Indian Road Congress, which have not been implemented yet despite being adopted by the Pune Municipal Corporation.

The PMC through its commissioner, Urban Development Department, Town Planning and Valuation Department, District Collector, Pune, and Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro) are made respondents in the PIL.

“Footpaths in PMC jurisdiction are grossly encroached upon and grabbed by hawkers and vendors, cooked-food stalls, beggars, homeless, squatters, excess debris from construction sites, pipes, hanging overhead cables, MSEDCL fuse boxes & junction boxes, protruding chamber covers and manhole covers, Smart City digital information poles, benches and other obstructions / obstacles,” she said.

This makes free and safe movement of pedestrians almost impossible, and at most times dangerous. Pedestrians, on most occasions, have to walk on streets and roads due to absence of footpaths at several locations, exposing themselves to moving vehicles, she said.

Megha Maske who has researched the subject stated that PMC’s neglect of footpaths is dereliction of duty that has put pedestrians in danger.

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Sukhrani said, “The Metro project is progressing in an unplanned manner, to the extent that in several locations the entire footpath has been dug up, and in other locations the entry or exit staircase connecting Metro rail stations have consumed the entire footpath. At locations such as Nagar road, Aundh road, Karve road, Satara road, Baner road, Swargate, Pashan Road, Koregaon Park roads, Fergusson College road and Balewadi High Street, the footpaths have been encroached upon by authorised or unauthorised vendors and hawkers, illegal food vending stalls, beggars and even vehicles that are illegally parked on footpaths, thereby rendering the entire or major part unusable.”

Entire footpaths have been blocked due to unplanned digging for private or public civil work. These are never covered or restored to original status, and in many locations footpaths have obstructions such as debris and dumped garbage, making it difficult and impossible for pedestrians to use footpaths, forcing them to either walk on roads/streets amidst vehicles or use vehicles instead of walking.