BMC orders ward-wise footpath clean-up under ‘Pedestrians First’ drive

Footpaths linking railway and Metro stations, schools and colleges, hospitals, government and civic offices, religious places and other high-footfall areas will be given priority

Mumbai: From high vehicle ramps outside buildings to hawker stalls, utility boxes and parked vehicles, the BMC has laid down a ward-wise plan to reclaim the city’s footpaths for pedestrians. Under the first phase of its ‘Pedestrians First’ campaign, civic officials will target 320km of footpaths and each ward will identify five priority stretches for immediate action.

Mumbai, India - Feb. 6, 2025: Hawkers at Colaba Causway, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, February 6, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Footpaths linking railway and Metro stations, schools and colleges, hospitals, government and civic offices, religious places and other high-footfall areas will be given priority, according to detailed guidelines issued by the civic body.

The drive will also target obstructions created by private properties and redevelopment projects. Property owners who have altered footpath levels, gradients or continuity by building high vehicle ramps or other unauthorised structures will be directed to restore them at their own expense. Failure to comply within 21 days of a notice will invite enforcement action, officials said.

The guidelines, issued in line with the Universal Footpath Policy (UFP) 2023, make it mandatory for all footpath repairs, reconstruction and modifications to meet prescribed standards.

The BMC has also directed every ward to inspect at least 10% of its footpaths every month. Road and maintenance engineers will be held accountable if inspections find deviations from approved standards.

Assistant commissioners will carry out regular inspections and ward offices will submit weekly reports, including before-and-after photographs of the action taken. These will be reviewed weekly by deputy commissioners, fortnightly by additional municipal commissioners and during monthly review meetings by the municipal commissioner.

The civic body has also widened the definition of footpath encroachment under the UFP 2023 to explicitly cover hawkers, handcarts and vending stalls, utility boxes and parking. All such obstructions on pedestrian pathways will be removed in accordance with the law, the guidelines state, with the aim to ensure uninterrupted and adequate pedestrian space.