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48 pedestrians killed in 2022 due to footpath encroachment in Pune
The massive encroachment of footpaths by hawkers has led to a spike in the number of road fatalities involving pedestrians, according to a survey conducted by Pune-based NGO, Save Traffic Movement (SPTM)
The massive encroachment of footpaths by hawkers has led to a spike in the number of road fatalities involving pedestrians, according to a survey conducted by Pune-based NGO, Save Traffic Movement (SPTM). As many as 48 pedestrians have lost their lives between January and June this year, as per information shared by the Pune police. What’s more, SPTM – which deals with transport issues – estimates that pedestrian fatalities are likely to hit a seven-year high in 2022, considering the numbers provided by the Pune police.
According to information obtained by the SPTM under the right to information (RTI) act, the number of pedestrian fatalities saw a slow and steady decline from 87 in 2016 to 64 in 2019, and once again rose to 84 in 2019. In 2020 when the city was locked for most part of the year due to Covid-19, there were 34 pedestrian fatalities. However, the number rose to 84 in 2021, and is likely to rise further, with 48 such fatalities recorded in June 2022 alone, as per the SPTM analysis.
According to civil society members and activists, most of the important roads in the city are illegally occupied. Hawkers and illegally parked vehicles have taken over the smart footpath project, forcing pedestrians to walk on roads, thereby leading to accidents and fatalities.
Hawkers have occupied footpaths on Fergusson college road, Goodluck chowk, Lakshmi road, Deccan gymkhana, Jangali Maharaj, Ahmednagar road, Pashan, Aundh and Sahakar nagar. A visit to these spots has revealed that the hawkers no longer fear the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and traffic police due to a system of bribes which has been institutionalised over the years.
The SPTM has been collecting and studying data annually for several years. The numbers show that traditionally, around 50 to 55% of the fatalities have been of two-wheeler riders, and about 30 to 35% of them have been of pedestrians.
Harshad Abhyankar, director, SPTM, said, “With the enforcement of wearing helmets meeting a political backlash every time the traffic police attempt it, we cannot hope to reduce the number of two-wheeler fatalities in the near future.”
About pedestrian fatalities, Abhyankar said that intersections with signals are perhaps relatively safer places for people to cross, but even they lack basic infrastructure such as zebra crossings and pedestrian signals. Surveys conducted by the SPTM for the last two years show that only about 30 to 50% of chowks have acceptable zebra and stop line markings. The situation with pedestrian signals is even worse, where hardly 15% of expected pedestrian signals are working, and chowks with all pedestrian signals working are extremely rare.
Abhyankar said, “To rub salt in the wounds, in 2021-22, the PMC wasted a budget allocation of Rs1.5 crore on fixing pedestrian signals. Fortunately, the PMC has some budget for the upkeep of signals this year as well. Let us hope that they fix the pedestrian signals city-wide.”
DCP (traffic) Rahul Srirame said, “Feedback given by the NGOs in the form of surveys always helps us to perform better. We have asked the PMC to provide pedestrian crossings at important chowks in the city but that has not happened. Also, the PMC must take regular action and remove footpath and road encroachments that are forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. The survey findings will be deliberated and an appropriate action plan will be readied for final action.”
Prashant Inamdar, founder, Pedestrians First, said, “The PMC must take regular action in such a way that the pedestrians are not forced to walk on roads. The citizens’ right to footpaths has to be restored and the police must help us in this regard.”
PMC anti-encroachment department head Madhav Jagtap said, “We take regular action against encroachments on roads and footpaths. Fines are recovered and we request citizens to lodge complaints against such violations where prompt action will be taken.”
