Dadar-Matunga footpaths turn into biker lanes and parking lots
Reportedly, the pedestrian paths on the arterial BR Ambedkar Road (BA Road) in Matunga and Dadar are among the widest in Mumbai – up to four metres, almost as wide as the Marine Drive promenade. Ironically, pedestrians can barely use them safely, forced to dodge speeding bikers and unauthorised parking.
According to the residents the problem has worsened following the demolition of Elphinstone bridge, which has choked BA Road with traffic heading both towards South Mumbai and across east-west connectors. To save a few minutes, two-wheeler riders now mount the footpaths, while shopkeepers and customers routinely use them as parking lots.
A motorcyclist uses the gap between bollards to ride onto the footpath, forcing pedestrians to make way
In the midst of a spot visit on Tuesday, mid-day found two-wheelers lined up along the pedestrian path near Khodadad Circle and in Matunga, even though the no parking boards have been installed by the civic body. A private security guard visiting a housing society even admitted that a traffic policeman had once told him to park on the footpath
“to avoid blocking the road.”
A biker without a helmet rides on the BA Road footpath as several scooters remain parked along it
Notwithstanding complaints by the residents, two traffic policemen were posted at Khodadad Circle, and bikers continued to ride onto the footpath. As As per a biker,.there is nowhere else to park. If we’re only visiting a shop for a few minutes, where should we leave our bikes?” said one biker in Matunga, who refused to be named. With housing societies providing the only access points, many riders end up driving the entire stretch of the pavement to reach their parking spot’.
As per a senior traffic police official this area needs constant monitoring and its impossible to monitor the entire north- and south-bound stretch round the clock. The bollards between the road and footpath have wide gaps, allowing bikers through. Unless the design is changed, the problem will continue.” The last major redesign of the footpath was undertaken in 2018-19. Since then, several bollards have been damaged or stolen – and never replaced.
A biker rides on the footpath while pedestrians walk alongside.
Residents want
What the residents need:
*Barricades on the stretch to block bikers Strict enforcement with more traffic police presence
*Accountability from civic and traffic bodies
*Awareness drives to educate citizens and bikers
The stretch between Tehmi Terrace and Dedhia House is a hotspot, with two-wheelers routinely bypassing traffic by riding onto pavements. Recently, an elderly pedestrian suffered a fractured hip after being hit by a speeding bike, sparking outrage.
Dr Shonali Rathi, a local resident and MD in Internal Medicine, said: “This is a footpath – for people on foot, nothing else. Who will pay for the victim’s mental, physical and financial trauma? Must we wait until someone loses their life before action is taken?” Residents said corporators had been informed, complaints tagged to the BMC and traffic police on Twitter, and multiple calls made to the traffic department, but enforcement has not followed.
News Edit KV Raman
