In a pivotal decision aimed at improving pedestrian safety, the Bombay High Court has mandated the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to ensure that all footpaths are obstruction-free and maintained to accommodate all citizens, including the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The ruling, handed down by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice MS Karnik on April 7, responded to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by civic rights advocate Qaneez-e-Fatimah Sukhrani. The PIL detailed numerous violations, including widespread encroachments and hazardous conditions on footpaths across Pune, severely restricting pedestrian access and safety.
“It is the statutory duty of the PMC to facilitate urban planning and development while providing basic amenities like unobstructed footpaths and safe pedestrian crossings. We must emphasize the importance of keeping footpaths clear for public use,” the bench remarked in its decision.
The court further instructed the PMC to promptly address and relocate any obstructions such as fuse boxes that impede pedestrian pathways, emphasizing that the convenience of service providers should not take precedence over pedestrian rights.
Abhijeet Kulkarni, representing PMC, assured that the corporation continually strives to uphold the rights of pedestrians and address any specific complaints swiftly to resolve issues concerning footpath accessibility.
Sukhrani criticized the PMC’s implementation of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) norms 103 of 2012 and its pedestrian policy, noting that, despite compliance during initial construction, footpaths often become unusable due to later encroachments. She stressed the necessity for PMC to establish a robust grievance redressal mechanism, make it widely known, and hold regular reviews with municipal authorities to ensure ongoing compliance with the court’s directives.
