Malabar Hill residents demand safe footpaths after morning walker’s fatal accident

Shock quickly turned to fury among the residents who navigate the same hazards every day. “First they stopped us from parking near Hanging Gardens, where residents go to walk. Now there are no footpaths, so people walk on the road,” said Dr Tejas Kothari, Shah’s neighbour

MUMBAI: The fight for footpaths in one of Mumbai’s most upscale neighbourhoods has turned urgent after the death of 75-year-old Neeta Shah, a familiar face in Malabar Hill’s morning and evening walking circuit.

Mumbai, India - Aug. 15, 2025:View of Nepean Sea Road at Malabar Hill, showing the illegal encroachment footpath on one side and parking on the both side in Mumbai, India, on Friday, August 15, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Residents say the lack of continuous, unobstructed footpaths has long forced them onto busy roads — a daily gamble with speeding traffic. On Tuesday, that gamble cost 75-year-old Neeta Shah her life. She was out for her daily 9AM walk when she was trapped between a parked car and a passing BEST bus outside Sahyadri Guest House. She was crushed to death.

Her neighbours say the reason was brutally simple: there were no usable footpaths. “The road she used daily has footpaths only in patches, many of which are illegally encroached,” said businessman Niranjan Hiranandani, a long-time resident and friend of Shah. “Pedestrians are forced onto the road, making them vulnerable to accidents.”

Shock quickly turned to fury among the residents who navigate the same hazards every day. “First they stopped us from parking near Hanging Gardens, where residents go to walk. Now there are no footpaths, so people walk on the road,” said Dr Tejas Kothari, Shah’s neighbour. “Walking here is a call for casualty.” He has since told his 80-year-old parents to avoid their daily walks unless a driver can drop them.

The problem, they say, is easy to see but hard to fix: too few footpaths, most too narrow or blocked by vehicles, shops, or housing society extensions. Outside Sahyadri Guest House, the footpath — one of the few in the area — is frequently occupied by police vans, political workers’ vehicles, and media crews during VIP visits.

“There’s only one zebra crossing in the entire area,” Kothari said. “Hoardings have gone up at eye level, shops spill out onto pavements, and on narrow stretches, electric poles push you onto the road every few steps.”

VIP traffic, they add, worsens congestion and increases risk for pedestrians. Hiranandani believes the solutions are straightforward: build continuous, safe footpaths, clear all encroachments, and declare No Parking zones along key stretches. “This isn’t just about convenience,” he said. “It’s about protecting lives.”

Kothari is cautiously hopeful after the police meeting but isn’t celebrating yet. “There are too many players involved — the traffic police, BMC, and VIP security. We’ve asked for barricades or planters to create pedestrian space, more zebra crossings, rumble strips, speed limits, cameras, and fines for parking violations near Hanging Gardens,” he said. “Someone has died for this. We cannot let it happen again.”