Why is it so difficult to walk in Indian cities?

In India, if you ask a pedestrian how many obstacles they have encountered on the sidewalk, they might not be able to count them – but they will definitely tell you that most of the sidewalks are broken. are in condition.

Arun Pai says he learned this when he started asking people about their experiences walking the streets of Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), his city in southern India.

This month it organized a “fun challenge” – dubbed the ‘World’s Longest Footpath Run’ – which invited people to walk or jog along 11km (8 miles) of footpath and Made note of obstacles they encountered, such as hawkers. Garbage or broken concrete slabs. Next, they were asked to rate the sidewalk on a scale of one to five.

“When you have specifics, it’s easier to ask officials to take action. Instead of telling your local politician, “The sidewalks are bad,” you can ask him or her to “Fix certain spots on a street. can ask to do,” says Mr Pai.

Mr. Pai, who is the founder of Bangalore Walks, a non-profit organization promoting walking, is among a number of civic activists pushing to make the country’s roads more pedestrian-friendly. .

In India’s capital, a tour company called Cycle By Cycle is advocating to make the city more cycle-friendly and walkable. These walking enthusiasts are doing awareness walks, creating walking apps and lobbying politicians to bring about change.

Even in India’s largest cities, proper footpaths are few and far between and are often encroached upon by hawkers and shops, parked vehicles and even cattle. In some places, they double as poorhouses.

Even the sidewalks that do exist are often not up to standard or properly maintained. Navigating the streets on foot through crowds and traffic can be a nightmare.

Last month, a citizens’ group walking project in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, launched a ‘pedestrian manifesto’ to highlight the poor state of the city’s roads and encourage local politicians to take action ahead of Maharashtra’s state elections. released

The manifesto included calls for better parking, designated hawking zones, pedestrian-friendly corridors on arterial roads and making sidewalks more accessible for people with mobility challenges.

“Government statistics show that about 50% of the city’s population relies on walking, far more than the 11% who use private transport and 15% who use tuk-tuks and Uses buses”. .

“And yet, pedestrians are the most neglected group of users when it comes to making policies around transport or road safety,” he adds.

According to the government’s latest estimates of road accidents, pedestrian deaths were second only to two-wheeler riders. In 2022, more than 10,000 pedestrians lost their lives on national highways across the country, with around 21,000 more injured in accidents.

“Authorities often resort to band-aid solutions such as adding speed bumps or signals to prevent road accidents. But what is really needed are interconnected footpaths,” says Mr Mahatre. can accommodate more footfall,” says Mr Mahatre.

Studies have shown that addressing the issues of this neglected group of road users can have benefits for multiple stakeholders.

In 2019, researchers in the southern city of Chennai studied the effects of construction. The new sidewalks on 100 kilometers (62 mi) of city streets had an impact on the environment, the economy, and the health and safety of citizens.

They found that the new sidewalks encouraged 9% to 27% of surveyed respondents to walk instead of using motorized transport, leading to a reduction in greenhouse gases and particulates. They also learned that sidewalks provide new opportunities for women and low-income groups, which also help them save money.

The survey highlighted how people with disabilities and women can derive important needs from sidewalks and how improvements in tailoring to meet their needs can increase access and equity.

“Many people have no standards for the quality of footpaths, especially if they have not traveled abroad or been exposed to places with good pedestrian facilities,” says Mr Mahatre. are present.” He says that is why there is not enough outrage about the quality or absence of footpaths in the country.

He also points out that most people view walking as a recreational or exercise activity. And so, the infrastructure they associate with walking stops at gardens or walking tracks. However, in reality, people walk in different places every day, so the range of walking infrastructure is very wide.

“Walking is the most economical and environmentally friendly way to get around one’s city and it is time our leaders pay as much attention to walking infrastructure as they do to public transport,” says Mr Mahatre. ” says Mr. Mahatre.

Geetam Tiwari, professor of civil engineering, says that the main problem is that there is too much focus on solving the problem of vehicular congestion on the roads.

“To improve traffic flow, authorities often narrow sidewalks or eliminate them altogether,” she says. Ms Tiwari says this approach is problematic because doing so makes it difficult for pedestrians to access public transport systems such as buses and metros, which can take pressure off roads.

“It may seem counterintuitive, but allowing congestion to persist and focusing on improving pedestrian infrastructure will help solve the traffic problem in the long run,” she says. says

Ms Tiwari also says the federal government should make it mandatory for states to implement guidelines issued by the Indian Road Congress – a national organization that sets design standards for roads and highways.

Cities can also enforce their own will, she says. Non Motorized Transport Policy (NMTP) to build better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

“Currently, only a handful of cities in India have experimented with NMTP but more cities are now stepping up to the plate,” she adds.

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