PUNE: Rahul Bora’s heart skips a few beats as he walks through
bikers speeding along the narrow footpaths of the busy Laxmi Road.
The trader hopes that the recent crackdown by the traffic police on such errant two-wheeler riders continues till the city’s footpaths get safe for pedestrians like him.
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The traffic police should ensure that the pavements are free for pedestrians even after their drive against bikers riding or parking vehicles on footpaths is over. Several drives were initiated earlier to discipline motorists, but things were back to square one after a few days. Strict policing and motorists’ wisdom can only ensure safety on streets and pavements.
“Most two-wheeler riders are impatient for a signal to turn green. They ride along the pavements to move out of the traffic faster. The railings along the footpaths are not continuous. This allows the
bikers to get onto the pavements. Besides, two-wheelers parked on the footpaths are a big inconvenience,” he said.
Pedestrians across the city have been complaining about the inconvenience for years. But crackdowns by police, physical barriers such as bollards and penalties have failed to prevent the errant bikers from using the pavements.
The traffic police launched a special drive on May 27 to apprehend bikers riding or parking their vehicles on the pavements. And within a 10 days since then, the police took action against over 2,000 offenders.
Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Ashok Morale said his department had launched a 10-day special drive with an aim to discipline the two-wheeler riders.
“The drive is set to continue for now. We are catching at least 150 such two-wheeler riders daily. The concern is that people continue to flout the
road rules,” he said.
The officer admitted that the bikers were not even sparing the pavements and cycle tracks of the newly developed smart street in Aundh. “Physical barriers in the form of bollards have been installed at several locations in association with the Pune Municipal Corporation. But the two-wheeler riders appear determined to ride along the pavements. The two-wheeler riders need to practise self-discipline,” he explained.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar said the situation across the city was horrible and pedestrians’ safety appear to be of least concern. “The two-wheeler riders not only ride along the footpaths, but they also speed recklessly. The design of the footpaths is such that it is easy for the bikers to get on. Bollards have been put up at a few places,” he said.
The activist added that the bikers were not scared of police action as they believed that the chances of getting caught were less.
Motorcyclists parking their vehicles on footpaths are a common sight across the city