Why walkers and riders formed 50% of road fatalities in last 6 months
Lack of footpaths and punitive measures on speeding, along with a 6% jump in the number of vehicles lead to deaths
Mumbai: Farheen Rizvi, 20, left her home in Malvani, Malad, at around 7:30 am on September 15 and headed for Malvani bus depot to catch a bus to Patkar College in Goregaon. Her mother, Kinnu Begum, gave her a little over ₹13 that would be her one-way fare – in the past Farheen has had to miss many classes as she could not reach her college on time, since the family could not afford the bus ticket every day. Six months short of becoming a graduate, she did not wish to miss another day of college.
But Farheen never made it to her institute that day.
As she was nearing the depot, a BEST bus entering struck her down. Early commuters around her were aghast at the sight and called for help, as the driver Mahadev Eknath Sasane drove away. “The right side of her body was crushed and pulverised,” said Maulali Shaikh, the family’s close family friend.
Several factors led to Farheen’s untimely demise, not least a reckless Sasane. According to eyewitness accounts, there was a massive hole dug up outside the depot which was left unattended; and to manoeuvre this, rickshaws would use the depot, said the deceased’s mother. This created an obstruction in the area, and as everyone tried to devise a make-shift way of getting by, the depot would become unnecessarily crowded.
Pedestrians meeting their end owing to speeding vehicles at busy intersections are commonplace.
Between January and June this year, 121 road accidents have claimed 132 lives, according to Mumbai Traffic Police – half of these were pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. (See box for past data.)
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable lot in the city. A two-part series published by this newspaper in March this year underlined the lack of spaces for people to walk across the city and suburbs, as footpaths have been claimed by owners of small business, ongoing infra work and housing societies extending their spaces illegally; and those that exist are in a state of disrepair.
“There are three major causes of road accidents threatening pedestrians – poor pedestrian-safe infrastructure, lack of road etiquette among motorists and undisciplined pedestrians themselves,” said Ajay Govale, vice president, Community Impact, of United Way Mumbai, a non-profit organisation working in rural and urban communities across India, to identify and implement impactful solutions to problems faced by communities. “A sound road infrastructure should ensure separation of motorists and pedestrians, with proper well-demarcated spaces for crossing, broad and continuous footpaths and more.”
In such a scenario, Govale said, motorists should allow pedestrians right of way and follow traffic rules. However, it is a challenge as they are left in the dark without clear and visible signages.
These drawbacks led to the death of 76-year-old Tukaram Sawant in Mulund on June 27. He was killed by a speeding car in a quiet residential area. After retiring from the police force 20 years ago, Sawant’s evening routine was set – he left home at 6:30pm to walk to a temple. After his evening prayers, he walked to the neighbourhood park along with his friends and returned home at 9pm for dinner.
That day, there was an empty spot at the family’s dinner table. Sawant was hit by a speeding motorist and died on the spot.
HT inspected the spot recently and found there was no footpath on the road, a line of cars parked and the incline of the paths leading to the housing societies merging with the footpath in a way that left no option for pedestrians but to walk on the road. The footpaths on the opposite side of the road were ill-maintained, with paver blocks jutting out; a manhole covered in haphazard manner had a makeshift bamboo fence cordoning it off.
Reducing speed, found Govale and his team, is crucial to reducing accidents on road, as mentioned in their report published in April 2023 titled, ‘Slow Down: Speed Observation Study Report.’ It analysed 20 ‘dark’ spots where fatalities are chronic – a term defined by the Supreme Court and appointed committees to tackle.
A key recommendation was that the speed limit in residential areas not cross 30 km/hr. There are patches on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) which are particularly precarious as residential colonies line both ends of the road, causing friction between different types of movement -- motorists, buses and pedestrians.
On the evening of June 21, as 84-year-old Aruna Sadashiv Jadye was trying to cross the road a few meters ahead of Gaiwadi, Girgaum, unable to exercise control a speeding BEST bus mowed her down. The octogenarian was on her way back from the library, having picked up a fresh stash of books in exchange for a previous lot. Sachidand, her son, still cannot fathom why the bus driver was speeding to subsume his mother under the vehicle.
Govale said speed limits must be enforced, and speed cameras and speed breakers installed for the purpose, given a rise in the number of vehicles on the road – there has been a 6% jump between 2022 and 23, while 50% of travellers are pedestrians. “They are squeezed into the space by the pressure of automobiles,” said Dhawal Ashar, programme head of Urban Transport and Road Safety, Sustainable Cities and Transport, World Resources Institute (WRI), India, that researches city transport. “On the other hand, our study has shown that there are many residual spaces, that if designed well can ensure quality pedestrian infrastructure.”
Ashar pointed to a study that revealed the possibility of creating a traffic island at Bharatmata junction, at Currey Road, in 2018. This was implemented by BMC, which improved pedestrian safety and traffic circulation. Before the intervention, five to six traffic personnel would be posted at the junction at all times to manage traffic. Now there is none.
“Making Mumbai pedestrian-friendly is possible; it will improve traffic efficiency and reduce the load on traffic police,” added Ashar.
Fatalities are just the tip of the iceberg. “What escapes attention is the stress pedestrians feel and the indifferent attitude of authorities,” said Vedant Mhatre, programme manager of the Walking Project, an NGO that works to create space to walk in the city. This also leads to poor quality of life. “Last week, the BMC revealed that 25% of deaths in Mumbai are due to cardiovascular diseases led by poor food habits and lifestyle choices. Simple acts like walking can help beat stress,” said Rishi Aggarwal, head, Walking Project.