The footpaths laid to help the pedestrian walk safely while allowing the traffic to move smoothly are now of no use. The state of the same from the Darshanlal Chowk to Clock Tower in the city is a glaring example of how things are going on. The pedestrians are coming right on the roads with bustling traffic instead of the footpaths meant for them, not just making the traffic to crawl but making themselves vulnerable to road mishaps.
The commuters allege that these people are as much responsible for the mess on the roads they are grappling with daily as much the inefficiency of the traffic police. “It is very much duty of the traffic police to clear out the roads of the streaming pedestrians. They must be asked sternly to use the footpath instead. In case they fail to heed they should be penalised,” a commuter said. One who was found behind the wheels of a public bus on a city road echoed the same and said that the people who act that irresponsibly are as much to blame for accidents as some drivers resorting to rash or drunk driving. “As for myself, I get confounded when a person springs in front of the vehicle from nowhere, making us to slam on the brakes, something which might prove dangerous,” the driver said.
When quizzed over why they are not as active as they should be in keeping the roads clear of the people, a traffic police officer said that regulating the traffic on the road being their duty, they cannot be expected to teach the people how to walk. “The traffic snarls the city roads face daily is mostly thanks to such pedestrians coming up right on the roads and walk on the roads. Often, they cross the roads without looking around. We are empowered to slap penalties on the erring drivers of vehicles. But we are helpless when it comes to the people from coming up on the roads instead of using the footpaths,” he said.
Observers say that though some of the footpaths have been encroached upon all of them are mercifully not. “What we see is that while din is raised on the encroachment of footpaths those which are still left free for the people to walk on are not being used by many. This must be considered seriously and some steps must be taken to discourage the trend,” he said.