HYDERABAD: When you ask Mohammad Rafiq, a salesman dealing with second-hand bikes at Ramkote, why has he parked his motorcycles on the footpath, pat comes the reply: “Where else should I park them? In the graveyard?” The locality, where second-hand bike dealers have encroached the footpath leaving pedestrians to walk on the road dodging vehicles, comes under the Himayath Nagar ward.
This commercially vibrant ward has most of its existing footpaths either encroached or damaged. Interestingly, there’s a non-existing footpath at the stretch along Narayanaguda road. The locality has over 13 schools and many educational institutions making it a major students’ hub. Even bus stops in the locality have fallen prey to fruit sellers, juice makers, tea and cigarette shops that have sprung up along side road narrowing down space meant for pedestrians. Efforts to incorporate planning of footpaths into layout of a locality began as early as 2013, but it is yet to become a reality. “Police do come and fine us sometimes,” says Rafiq, “but we don’t have any option other than parking bikes on footpath. Even they know that. So what is the problem?” he added.
“This area has remained like this for a long time,” says a city traffic policeman at Ramkote Junction. He could be seen helping children cross the busy street. “How much ever we tell these bike dealers, it is pointless,” he rues.For residents of Sri Venkateshwara Colony, lack of footpaths means lesser access to their own, and nearby localities for recreation. “I can’t go out even for a walk. First of all the vehicles in the area make it polluted. Also, there are no parks in this area,” said C Radha, a 68-year-old resident and a member of the Sri Venkateshwara Colony welfare association. “The closest space accessible for walking is Hussainsagar for which I have to depend on others for commute,” she added.
When asked, J Hemalatha Yadav, corporator, GHMC, said, “The footpaths will come. We are now estimating cost of the project.” Alleging that there is a nexus between the traffic police and second-hand bike dealers, the corporator said: “The encroachments are a big problem. Even when action is taken against them after a complaint, they return back the very next day.