The Story of a Footpath

A poor little boy in a rich neighborhood

A 1 km walk in GK2 & Alaknanda

Greater Kailash 2

Alaknanda

Mandakini

Don Bosco School

S Block, GK2

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A normal day in South Delhi

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On a footpath in GK2

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Preparing for a celebration

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Many have appropriated the footpath

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And even destroyed it for self gain

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Free rooming, boarding & retirement

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The rich are not the only ones

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But guess who the police will remove

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But is that all?

What is this?

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The Municipal Corporation!

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Guess who is paying for the shade!

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Certainly not them

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Our little journey continues

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Laziness compounds the problem

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Not just a garbage dump but also a carwash

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And pretty little gardens

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Under Delhi Police Protection

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The next block starts – but parking space exists

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Some do care for the man on the street

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Or do they?

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360 degree protection

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And also safety. But at whose expense?

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The chapter ends in GK2…

Barred from the pavement

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To begin anew in Alaknanda

Mochi under police protection

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Its not just the rich & the government

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Look again! … no parking for whom?

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Compare the obstruction by the chatai-wala

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The RWA is no better

Uncovered hole

Gate opening outside

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Barbed wire makes it worse

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And what to do about them?

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And them?

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Yes! We can solve the problem!

• Let us decide to walk

• Let us engage – with one and all

• Let us persevere– For days, weeks, months and

if required - years

…lets go back on the same walk we took

– To see how change can occur

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Roadside shops/rediwaalas

Widen footpath and eliminate parking

He is not obstructing the pedestrian

Neither is the chaiwala Or the phal waala

Roadside shops provide critical cost effective services for everyone

• If the activity takes little space (eg. chaiwala/ nai) let it be

• If it takes more space – (eg. sabziwala) create more. In this example extend footpath into parking

• If more space not possible at the same point, see if more space possible on the other side of road? Keep at least one side unencumbered

• Remember they are providing a service for everyone and deserve preferential treatment over us car-owners who only serve ourselves.

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Any private or public construction

• Has to be removed

• Only temporary structures permitted

• What all street-vendors instinctively know

• Start with an MCD or a government structure

• Will create an example both for the Police and residents

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Non-constructed impediments

Private use MCD created

Delhi Police created Private use

• Does not include street-side vendors, but government and individual users

• Can be removed easily

• But responsibility to someone to remove them on ongoing basis– Who? – A Delhi Police –Community

partnership for monitoring– Some challan or clearing fees

should be declared (just as in towing charges)

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Parking: The law is clear

Scooters Jeeps

Cars Or Motorcycles

Parking Of The Vehicle“(a) Every driver of a motor vehicle parking on any road shall park in such a way that it does not cause or is not likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue in convenience to other road users …, he shall park the vehicle in such a manner.

(b) A driver of a motor vehicle shall not park his vehicle:-(i) at or near a road crossing, a bend, top of a hill or a humpbacked bridge;(ii) on a footpath;(iii) near a traffic light or pedestrian crossing;…”

• http://auto.indiamart.com/user-manual/road-regulation1.html

If the police do not remove them its dereliction of duty!version: 1/13/2014 The Citizens' Alliance 38

Last, widen the footpath

Size of the Footpath

“Indian code for the Pedestrian Facilities 5- IRC 103-1988, recommends following norms:

* Footpath on both sides. Minimum width of 1.5m or 5ft on both sides.

* Dead width of 0.5m or 1.64 to 2ft and 1m or 3.28 to 3.5ft to be added to footpath along houses, buildings, trees, fences and commercial or shopping areas respectively….

* Footpath width to be increased in cases of bus stops and recreational areas.”

• http://www.greenindiatrust.org/miss_foot.html

Effectively it means we get 7 to 8 feet width everywhere in DelhiGet to the contractor and the concerned engineer – remember:They do not care, and neither do they know!

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THE

CITIZENS’ ALLIANCE

Thank You

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