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WHY FOOTPATHS IN INDIA ARE BECOMING EXTINCT Arjun Mahishi Footpaths are supposed to be a safe place for all the pedestrians to walk on. It is called a Foot-path because it is meant only for using your foot as a means of transport. In the beginning when the footpaths started (whenever that is they were big and safe. !hich is clearly not the case now. Why footpaths are not e!n" #se$ as %#&h any%ore ' "he footpaths are con#uered by vehicles (most common "hey are lumped with stones$ which is to be used in a construction site they are occupied by construction worker%s houses "hey are blocked by health ha&arding obstacles (sharp long metal beams and stu' o these are the kind of things that keep humans away from the footpaths. !e would rather )nd it easy to walk on the side of the roads than footpaths. What (o#)$ an !$ea) footpath e' *eople should really stop considering footpaths as a parking lots. +ecause footpaths are for people not vehicles. tones can be dumped elsewhere. "he construction workers can perhaps settle down somewhere else. , tending the si&e of the footpaths would really help. REF: http://teckguide.blogspot.in/2014/10/why-footpaths-in-india-are-becoing- e!tinct.htl"

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WHY FOOTPATHS IN INDIA ARE BECOMING EXTINCTArjun MahishiFootpaths are supposed to be a safe place for all the pedestrians to walk on. It is called a Foot-path because it is meant only for using your foot as a means of transport. In the beginning when the footpaths started (whenever that is) they were big and safe. Which is clearly not the case now.

Whyfootpathsare not being used as much anymore ? The footpaths areconqueredbyvehicles (most common) They are lumped with stones, which is to be used in a construction site they are occupied by construction worker's houses They are blocked by health hazarding obstacles (sharp long metal beams and stuff) So these are the kind of things that keep humans away from the footpaths. We would rather find it easy to walk on the side of the roads than footpaths.

What would an ideal footpath be?People should really stop considering footpaths as a parking lots. Because footpaths are for people not vehicles. Stones can be dumped elsewhere. The construction workers can perhaps settle down somewhere else. Extending the size of the footpaths would really help.

REF:http://teckguide.blogspot.in/2014/10/why-footpaths-in-india-are-becoming-extinct.html#

Hail the pedestrian, widen footpath, not roadsSenthalir S, TNN|Feb 1, 2011, 12.51AM IST

BANGALORE: The road-widening, tree-chopping spree by the city corporation has left precious little room for the pedestrian. Where is our space, is the question that haunts every citizen who gets around on foot. Even footpaths have become the territory of motorists. Hasiru Usiru, an environmental group, in its mobility manifesto has underlined that most pavements are unusable because of poor quality surface, slopes, very steep access points (often one foot high), and encroachments by parking and moving vehicles (two-wheelers), electric transformers and illegal constructions. This forces pedestrians to walk on the road alongside and even jaywalk between vehicles. On the other hand, in market areas, the footpath is completely occupied by hawkers, and in others, inconsiderate two-wheeler riders use it as part of the road.The state government had allocated Rs 3,000 crore to improve footpaths and roads through the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike in the 2010-11 budget. For modernization and development of footpaths in the Central Business District alone, BBMP had allocated Rs 20 crore, and an additional Rs 24 crore was allocated for development of footpaths in other areas. However, development and modernization seems to be only on paper.V Ravichandar, chairman, Feedback Consulting, underlined that for every two trips a person makes to his workplace, one trip is on foot. BBMP's plan to develop more signal-free corridors has only led to road widening. Roads connecting Bangalore International Airport and the Okalipuram-Yeshwanthpur signal-free corridor have failed to take cognizance of the pedestrian as a road user.VEHICLES vs WALKERS Hasiru Usiru has highlighted that there are 5,00,000 cars carrying only 7% of the population in the city, which means that only 9 lakh people use cars. However, 38 lakh people commute in 5,500 BMTC buses and use footpaths to reach school, college, their place of work, or home.Experts feel that the flaw lies in planning, and the solution can be sought only through pedestrian-centric planning of the city. The city is for all, and the physically challenged and senior citizens should also be considered while planning roads. At present, uneven and narrow footpaths pose a danger for pedestrians.Instead of widening roads, experts suggest widening of pedestrian walkways, and developing pedestrian zones on streets with high density of walkers, like Gandhi Bazaar, Church Street, Commercial Street, Avenue Road, MG Road and Brigade Road. To reduce the number of private vehicles, the cost of parking should go up, they say.REFERENCE:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Hail-the-pedestrian-widen-footpath-not-roads/articleshow/7400207.cms

Where are the footpaths? A case for protecting pedestrian rights in IndiaByHimadri DasandSahana GoswamiJanuary 6, 2014

A woman walks among motorized traffic in Bangalore, India. Pedestrian rights are often ignored across India due to a lack in legal provisions for pedestrians, forcing them to walk alongside fast moving traffic at great risk to their lives. Photo by jchessma/Flickr. Cropped.Indias constitution guarantees every citizen a fundamental right to move freely throughout the country. Today, this right is violated in most cities, as pedestrian infrastructure has taken a backseat in the planning of Indian cities. Traditional Indian cities with compact development, mixed-use areas, and walkable streets are being dismantled and redeveloped to make way for sprawling cities and unending roads that cater to private automobiles. Policy recommendations and design directives borrowed from automobile dependent,developed nations are changing the form, structure, and context of modern Indian cities. Pedestrians are losing space on roads and on-street parking often takes precedent over pedestrian infrastructure like paved sidewalks.In order to reverse these trends and uphold the constitutional right of every Indian citizen to unimpeded, safe mobility, the country needs a detailed document outlining pedestrian rights and how to enforce them.Walking: An essential component of Indian citiesIn urban India,28%of all trips are made on foot and walking has the highest share of any other mode of transport. Thus, the absence of constitutional rights for pedestrians disenfranchises large sections of the population for whom walking is often the only option for mobility.Walking in urban India currently requires tricky negotiation through a series of obstacles and impediments, which often necessitates risking ones safety or sometimes, ones life. Pedestrian neglect in Indian cities is not just an issue of low prioritization and poor implementation of pedestrian amenities, but also a reflection of a larger systemic issue: the absence of a comprehensive set of legal rights and remedies for pedestrians in India. This situation is especially precarious for vulnerable groups like the elderly or children.Limited legal protection for Indian pedestrians is inadequateLegally, there are some avenues that offer protection to pedestrians, including the Motor Vehicles Act (1988); the Indian Penal Code (1860), which provides for the penalizing of rash driving by motorists who put pedestrians at risk; and the Rules of the Road Regulation (1989), which outlines the responsibilities of motorists with respect to pedestrians. Most recently, the National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board Bill (2010) mandates the Board to provide special requirements for women, children, senior citizens, disabled persons, and pedestrians relating to road safety and traffic management on national highways. While these laws provide some legal protection to people walking on streets, they are inadequate due to two major reasons:1. The regulations are framed as a set of suggested responsibilities, not requirements, for motorists.2. In the absence of defined rights for pedestrians, neither municipal authorities nor private motorists bear any legal responsibility for the environment that is generated by their actions.Worldwide advocacy efforts for pedestrian rightsAcross the world, the significance of developing better and safer pedestrian facilities is becoming well understood. The United Nations (UN) has designated 2011-2020 as theDecade of Action for Road Safety, with the goal of saving 5 million lives worldwide, and other organizations like theZenani Mandela Foundationare campaigning for pedestrian and road safety to be included in the upcoming UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Europe, the emphasis on road safety and developing a better pedestrian environment has been taken even further by theEuropean Charter of Pedestrians Rights, which was adopted in 1988 by the European Parliament. An excellent example for countries like India, the Charter explicitly outlines rights of pedestrians in urban and village centers, including the right to live in a healthy environment, have access to amenities within walking or cycling distance, and the right to complete and unimpeded mobility.Taking action: Pedestrian rights document needed to uphold fundamental rightsWhile defining the legal rights of Indian pedestrians in terms of the amenities and services each pedestrian is entitled to is important, an enforceable set of regulations for private motorists should also be enacted to help reduce conflict between pedestrians and motorized traffic. This would contribute to creating a safer environment surrounding city roads in India, especially through ensuring the safety of vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly. Since walking is something wealldo, a document detailing the rights of pedestrians is needed to ensure the safety of pedestrians and reinforce the fundamental rights of all Indians to move freely throughout the territory of India.REF:http://thecityfix.com/blog/where-are-footpaths-case-protecting-pedestrian-rights-india-himadri-das-sahana-goswami/

Life Of The Indian FootpathJuly 08, 2012In India, reserving a footpath solely for walking is a blasphemous idea. Instead, its a platform to showcase diverse talent.In India, reserving a footpath (wherever existent) solely for walking is a blasphemous idea. Instead, its a platform to showcase diverse talent and hence serve a greater purpose.

In an upscale locality, the rather premium red-tiled footpath begins service for the day by sole kissing expensive Nike trainers of the iPod-clipped-women-in-shorts kind, and their male equivalents. Their upscale dogs tugging along also exhibit status by intimidating thestray community which rule the footpath after dark to sheepishly withdraw dominance, at least for those few morning hours. Occasionally, verbal clashes between the two classes of dogs occur. Oh and yes, for the trees that stand by the sides, this is the time theyre blessed with some upscale dog nutrient.

Simultaneously in the neighborhood slum dwelling, one footpath forms the first line of control: between the slum and the upscale neighborhood. The slum is official residence for the back-office staff of wealthy Indian households drivers,house helpset al. This wider footpath, formed by wear and tear of the ground, is where inhabitants primarily answer calls. First are mobile phone calls due to lack of signal penetration in their makeshift homes, and second (and more prominently), natures calls. Ive often contemplated the possibility of huge deposits of crude directly underneath. By night, it becomes the slums official playground at one end, and casino at the other, both being lit very generously by street lights while they work, and stolen-electricity lamps when they dont.

With all the above taken into account, we in India dont intend to serve you by the side of our excretory deposits. Thats why weve put business on the other side of a different footpath adjoining the commercial zone, thus forming the second line of control. It branches out together with the streets into more footpaths, and as you hop and skip through, youll discover that amazing athlete in you. Youll be struck by the vivacity of Indias greatest retail industry housed here. Divide their total income by the cumulative sum of space occupied, and youll be staggered by the revenue-per-square-foot; so much it just might surpass that of Apples retail division. From cosmetics to garments, cell phones to computer hardware, cutlery to cookware, and grocery to general household supplies everythings under a few (umbrella) roofs. To further pamper the shopping experience, after every few meters is a cool bar selling tea, soda, paan and cigarettes. Seasonally, there are hills of mangoes and grapes, among the more common fruits and vegetables. There is also a thriving services industry; shoe shiners, barbers, street jugglers,acrobats, musicians and the more exciting tarot readers. In case guilt encroaches your lavish spending there will be vagrants awaiting generosity.

Twined with all this commotion, product promotions yelling out prices at best bargains happen as enthusiastically as the owner/salesmen themselves. Retailers here also find innovative ways in raising capital e.g. by sale of Ad space on tree barks and lampposts beside their outlets. They assume that for some reason, youll want everything they have to sell. With customer-centric pricing in play, look upper class and youre expected to pay more, unless you win the bargain game. On reaching a mutual agreement on the price, if you change your mind, prepare to get cursed!

Larger footpaths around the area double up as parking lots. In arapidly developing India, construction sites are inevitable, and the owners have exclusive rights to use the footpaths around for storing gravel and construction equipment. If any of that is not present, at least be sure to find a cow lying on the footpath and chewing its cud like a boss.

Obviously, all this pressure takes its toll on the feebly built concrete blocks. If youre lucky you may end up not slipping into a sewer through the fault lines.

REF:http://www.the-nri.com/life/lifestyle/life-of-the-indian-footpath