Widening Footpaths, Narrowing Roads: Punekars Criticise Smart City Initiative Adding To Traffic Congestion In Areas Like Akurdi, Nigdi

Widened footpaths under Pune's Smart City Mission have faced criticism by Punekars for potentially worsening the city’s already strained traffic conditions. While residents acknowledge the importance of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, they are questioning these developments being implemented at the expense of narrowing road space desperately needed for the city's growing vehicles and population.

“We have no issue with construction of footpaths, they should be made and maintained, it's the pedestrians right. It also adds advantages such as improving the traffic flow, increasing the travel speed as well as lowering the chances of skirmishes between vehicles and pedestrians,” said Rahul Jadhav, a resident of Akurdi.

Building concrete roads, dedicated cycle lanes, integrated command centre, widening footpaths, and recreation and beautification work are some of the initiatives taken under the Smart City Mission in Pune.

“However these footpath widening must not be at the cost of narrowing the roads. The number of vehicles is rising, the road infrastructure’s carrying capacity is already breached, causing severe traffic congestion. While authorities are reducing the road width aggravating this issue, it has also reduced the parking slots and open space that used to help in cases of vehicles malfunctioning,” Jadhav added.

Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Akshay Killedar, a resident of Sadashiv Peth says, “The public transport is not up to the mark, metro or railway network hasn’t covered the city’s landscape, causing residents to opt for private vehicles.”

“The authorities are pouring crores of rupees of public money to build these widened footpaths and cycle lanes adding to traffic congestion. In many places across the city such as along Sangvi to Kalewadi road, the pedestrians are almost negligible while the footpaths are huge, what's the use of such mindless public infrastructure,” Killedar explained.

Residents demand that a balance must be sought to also have space for pedestrians but the width must be decided after surveying the footfall. As unnecessary construction of widened footpaths is adding to the traffic congestion.

“In regions with more pedestrians some land can be acquired for footpaths while the traffic flow should also be left undisturbed without narrowing roads,” added Jadhav.