Hyderabad: Stating that decent footpaths form part of the basic infrastructure in a metro city, pedestrians complain that they are being deprived of something as critical as safe travel. Ridiculing the congested sidewalks, several of them blamed encroachments by hawkers, and haphazard footpath stretches as adding to their worries.
"The government prides itself in calling the city a 'global' one but something as fundamental as good pavements is missing. Good planning would have eliminated pedestrian deaths. Encroachments force people to walk on the road causing most of the accidents. There needs to be a continuity of the existing footpaths," said Aneesh T, who takes a metro and then walks the remaining distance to his office in Begumpet every day.
According to ‘Indian Road Congress: Guidelines for pedestrian facilities’, footpaths should continue at the same level across side streets and property entrances for seamless movement. Vehicle access ramps too should be provided so as to slow down vehicles at intersections.
These guidelines, however, are not followed in the city. Citizens say it is alarming to see such failure even at a place like the NTR Marg, which is dotted with important administrative buildings, including the Secretariat and Martyrs' Memorial.
Priya Nayak A, who walks to her college from her home in Kundanbagh, said that though there are some pavements that are 'good enough' for use, them not being connected to adjacent streets spreads fear among pedestrians, who have to risk their lives to reach the other end.
While GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar D.S. was unavailable for comment, traffic police at Punjagutta junction said that until such sidewalks with continuity come into existence, 'obeying and following traffic signals and patiently waiting for one’s turn to cross the road' will suffice.
