In many parts of Pune, footpaths designated for pedestrian use have turned into illegal parking spots. Additionally, vendors have encroached upon these footpaths to sell various products such as clothes and cosmetics. This has left common citizens with the impression that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune City Traffic Police are turning a blind eye to the issue, possibly being hand in glove with the violators.
Nilanjana Das, a commuter, voiced concerns, saying, "In the city, many footpaths are blocked by vendors or parked vehicles, making it hard for people to walk safely. The administration needs to clear these blockages so everyone can walk without any struggle. There is no permanent solution as vendors are aware of the timing of police patrolling and accordingly they remove their stalls and later they come back again."
Raj Singh, a resident of MG Road, observed that vendors have overtaken almost all footpaths without fear of police action, alleging political backing and extortion ('hafta') as contributing factors. "The police take away their handcarts, but they bring a new one immediately," he said, adding that the administration needs to find a permanent solution to this problem faced by pedestrians.
"The roads are already bad due to constant digging for water and drainage pipelines. But now the footpaths are also equally worse. How should people walk?" asked Tejas Pawar, another resident.
Vikrant Mishra, a resident of Hadapsar, said, "In local areas, footpaths are often dirty, strewn with garbage, and poorly maintained, mostly occupied by street shops. Efforts must be made to address these issues, ensuring footpaths are clean and free from obstruction for the benefit of all pedestrians and the community at large."
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, Aniruddha Pawaskar, Head of the Road Department at PMC, acknowledged the issue and stated that efforts were underway to address it in coordination with the encroachment and traffic police departments. "Action has been taken but somehow the encroachments come up again. Still, we are trying to remove encroachments from roads and footpaths and take it as a priority issue."
Rohidas Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said, "We have started a special drive against the encroachers on footpaths. Accordingly, we are collecting unclaimed vehicles and putting fines on them. We will take strict action against the violators, identifying the spots. Besides, no one is allowed to park the vehicles on footpaths."
