BJP corporator says keep footpath on only one side of roads

In a city starved of space for pedestrians, a proposal mooted by former deputy mayor and BJP corporator from Bandra, Alka Kerkar, to get rid of footpaths on one side of roads, has taken activists and town planners by surprise. While Kerkar claims this will help decongest roads as the number of vehicles have increased, activists and senior civic officials, including the BMC commissioner himself feel the plan is not at all feasible.

Kerkar’s notice of motion at the civic body to have just a single footpath for city roads that are 30 feet wide or less, is listed on the agenda of the BMC’s general body meeting scheduled for April 10. The agenda that was published as a public notice in the newspapers recently has raised concerns among citizens.

“I have made this proposal because smaller homes have made way for highrises. The number of vehicles has increased in the city. Therefore, I am suggesting that footpaths on one side of roads should be cleared to make way for wider roads,” she said when asked about her proposal.

Kerkar’s proposal reads, “Keep footpath on one side instead of having it on either side.” Kerkar argues that the proposal is only for inner lanes and smaller roads as wide as 30 feet, not for highways. Meanwhile, those who prefer to walk claim that instead of removing footpaths altogether, what is needed is for them to be resurfaced, and that since smaller roads have more pedestrians than vehicles, the suggestion offered would not be effective.

Meanwhile, Kerkar claims her suggestion is based on requests from local residents. “Many residents approached me asking for footpaths to be removed from one side of the road. I agreed with the suggestions and hence have given the proposal,” she said.

However, pedestrians claim that smaller roads have a lot of people walking on footpaths rather than vehicles. “Smaller lanes have a lot of homes on their sides. With just one footpath on the lane, it will endanger the lives of people, especially senior citizens and children. Instead, BMC should spend on making them accessible, resurface them, and keep them free of hawkers,” Manish Acharya, a resident of Santacruz, said.

Activist Zoru Bhatena, a resident of Khar, said, “This is all just a money wasting business and no genuine road repair work. I can give several examples where the civic body has first repaired a footpath and then within a year or two again changed the paver blocks or come up with some other repair work. All these proposals seem vague and illogical.”

While the proposal has made to the agenda of the house, chief engineer, roads department, V P Chithore, said, “There is no such policy of the civic body to remove or have just one footpath even if it is a small lane. Hence it cannot be considered.” BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta added: “The proposal does not seem feasible. It can be put forth for discussion, but in reality it cannot be implemented.”