[SDP]

Originally Posted by faustus77

Hi everybody
Today's Mumbai Mirror had an article that the fatal accidents in Bombay involve 57% of pedestrians.
Unfortunately the footpaths have been taken over by hawkers(as Jignesh mentioned above) and perforce the pedestrians are forced to walk on the road.
At the same time quite a few of them jump over barriers and meet with accidents and the blame is always placed on the motorists.
Here is a link to the article.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Defau...&ViewMode=HTML
Regards

I read the article. Although the "foothpaths occupied by hawkers" angle is right, there is another side to it. Even when footpaths are not occupied by hawkers and relatively clean, most pedestrians still walk by the road-side rather than using the footpath. College-going kids are among the worst. If a group of 5 friends is walking towards the college, they would walk side-by-side on the road, effectively blocking off a significant portion of one lane.

In my opinion, as cities grow and enforcement weakens, the population becomes less and less concerned about others. The empathy and common civic sense goes down. A few lessons in civics would help. Also nothing like enforcement, when the crowd starts behaving like cattle. Just block off entries to the road for the pedestrians and ask the RTO guys to pull out people walking on the road.

I do understand, its easier said than done. It needs some very strong will-power.

[Maverick1977]

Originally Posted by SDP

Even when footpaths are not occupied by hawkers and relatively clean, most pedestrians still walk by the road-side rather than using the footpath. College-going kids are among the worst. If a group of 5 friends is walking towards the college, they would walk side-by-side on the road, effectively blocking off a significant portion of one lane.

I completely agree with you. Even when the footpaths are empty people prefer to walk on the roads, especially if they are in groups.

A few years back my friend and I were returning home on my bike around 10:00 p.m. There was a group of local boys in a group probably out for a night stroll. One of them suddenly got pushed in jest by his group member and he almost fell on the road. In a bid to save him at the very last moment, I applied emergency brakes, my bike skidded and both my friend and I were thrown off it.

To our dismay & amazement instead of helping us the group realized their folly and simply ran away! It was then some people who had seen the incident happen in a flash came to our rescue and even they felt that we were the unfortunate victims of some one else's tom foolery.

[Rajeev1]

Just heard (unconfirmed) that there has been some kind of a Gas Tanker mishap on the Eastern Express Highway - near Vikhroli / Ghatkopar. If any Bhpian is going to take that route it would be better if you check out first. May result in massive jams. Just want to give a heads up to other forum members.

[apachelongbow]

Regarding jaywalking by Mumbaikars, its simply the callous attitude of the common man. I have spotted hordes of pedistrians crossing busy roads, just right below the skywalk, overhead bridges. Now what on earth prevents these people from using the FOB, which is right overhead? Because they can, and because they know, no matter what happens, they will never be blamed, rather they can put in some illegal speedbreakers for next time.

[amit]

I feel skywalks are totally cheating of aam admi. How can you allow footpath's to be blocked by illegal vendors & expect comman man to climb 30 stairs to walk on skywalk.

The Skywalks are a flawed concept for the aam aadmi, to get people on it you need to have escalators

Forget escalator's, all that the government needs to do is put all the hawker's from the roads below onto the skywalks. Then see how people walk 30 & more stairs to use them!

I feel the biggest problem is everyone wants the government to do something to solve the problems. Recently citizen's are up in arms over the removal of Mr.Dhoble after he took strict action against hawker's. They went and made some petition to reinstate Dhoble and let him do his duty. All the citizens have been complaining about how the hawker's have taken up pavements' & roads. Funny part is, those very citizen's can unite and stop buying anything from hawker's that are sitting on pavement's and roads. I don't understand this country!

[Desmosedici]

Originally Posted by amit

Forget escalator's, all that the government needs to do is put all the hawker's from the roads below onto the skywalks. Then see how people walk 30 & more stairs to use them!

I feel the biggest problem is everyone wants the government to do something to solve the problems. Recently citizen's are up in arms over the removal of Mr.Dhoble after he took strict action against hawker's. They went and made some petition to reinstate Dhoble and let him do his duty. All the citizens have been complaining about how the hawker's have taken up pavements' & roads. Funny part is, those very citizen's can unite and stop buying anything from hawker's that are sitting on pavement's and roads. I don't understand this country!

Getting hawkers onto the Skywalk is a brilliant idea in my opinion. Atleast the roads outside the station will be super free for vehicles. Most station roads are congested due to hawkers.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by amit

put all the hawker's from the roads below onto the skywalks. Then see how people walk 30 & more stairs to use them!
Funny part is, those very citizen's can unite and stop buying anything from hawker's that are sitting on pavement's and roads. I don't understand this country!

Your suggestion is brilliant, but I feel the lobby is too strong & backed by those in power.

I know of a cousin who is doctor & he requested a very influential person (who was his patient) to move a street vendor outside his clinic. To our surpise, my cousin was told - if the vendor is not creating problem for you or your work, please let him sit there, because in his sitting there, I (influential person) get an (illegal) income.
In short I mean the rot has reached highest levels & we are now hearing of government planning to legalize these vendors & also protect them.

We have all seen the roads (streets) leading to railway stations in Mumbai & these street vendors are literally blocking the pathways to legal shops & nobody can do anything.

I also understand the apathy of pedestrians who have have nowhere to walk (neither foothpaths not roads), but many times pesdestrains cross vehicles very dangerously & just point their hand signalling drivers to halt. Most of the times, I feel that these pesedtrians are probably believing that my car's brakes are working on their hand signal's command.

Thanks,

[engrohit]

Originally Posted by Jignesh

I also understand the apathy of pedestrians who have have nowhere to walk (neither foothpaths not roads), but many times pesdestrains cross vehicles very dangerously & just point their hand signalling drivers to halt. Most of the times, I feel that these pesedtrians are probably believing that my car's brakes are working on their hand signal's command.

Thanks,

Even I used to get super irritated with this hand signal thing, until I was at the receiving end of motor traffic while crossing a road in Andheri. There is such an influx of cars etc. that it is impossible to cross the road (where signals are not there) without such dare devilry. They also have trains to catch and timelines to meet, so possibly can't wait forever for cars to voluntarily stop for them. In fact now I let pedestrians cross without pushing the car into them.

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by engrohit

. They also have trains to catch and timelines to meet, so possibly can't wait forever for cars to voluntarily stop for them. In fact now I let pedestrians cross without pushing the car into them.

Hello Engrohit,

I do accept & understand they too have timelines to meet & work to be done. But is taking this risk worth the time (couple of minutes) saved?

Hello Freinds,

Mumbai is getting hotter by the day & surprisingly, today morning Western Express Highway is very slow moving from Goregoan (Hub Mall) till Santacruz flyover.

It this traffic jam due to some VIP delegates movement from / to airport? Or it is due to another accident.

Thanks,

[Maverick1977]

Fed up with the crazy amount of traffic on the WE Highway I have started using my Bike. At first I did find it a tad uncomfortable but then the time saved was enough to offset all the other issues. I didn't have to wait in a stream of cars like a sitting duck and just passed through all the traffic with quite ease. The heat was too much & I was sweating when I reached office but the time saved so much that everything else simply got nullified.

I will be checking the actual amount of time saved today evening whilst going home. I can right now say that its going to be significant. Earlier when I used to commute by car I used to see a stream of motorcycles pass by and all I could do was Sit & watch. Not any more!

[Jignesh]

Originally Posted by Maverick1977

Fed up with the crazy amount of traffic on the WE Highway I have started using my Bike.

Exactly the same reason has forced me to purchase a Bike again & leave my Car at home. Another reason was cost of fuel (petrol) which is now almost Rs. 78 per liter in Mumbai..

I travel approx 12 kms from Malad to SEEPZ & it used to take atleast 1 hour in morning & minimum 1 hour & 15 minutes in evenings. While on bike, it does not takes more than 45 minutes be it morning or evening. Add to that I save big time on fuel costs.

Thanks,

[ghodlur]

Some respite expected for the commuters on the ever busy Ghodbunder Road in Thane in the coming week. The Manpada flyover is in the final stages of completion, the work has progressed much faster than expected ever since Shiv Sena had threatened to throw the flyover open by March 10 if not completed before that. Now the most important flyover of Majiwade remains to be constructed and operational which is expected to be completed by this year end or early next year right in time before the state elections in 2014.

[engrohit]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Some respite expected for the commuters on the ever busy Ghodbunder Road in Thane in the coming week. The Manpada flyover is in the final stages of completion, the work has progressed much faster than expected ever since Shiv Sena had threatened to throw the flyover open by March 10 if not completed before that. Now the most important flyover of Majiwade remains to be constructed and operational which is expected to be completed by this year end or early next year right in time before the state elections in 2014.

Agree sir, the work has definitely picked up pace and the ramps are also done. However the majiwada flyover still looks like a distant dream. Also any idea what is that additional bridge they are constructing in front of PPL factory at Kapurbawadi junction?

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by engrohit

Agree sir, the work has definitely picked up pace and the ramps are also done. However the majiwada flyover still looks like a distant dream. Also any idea what is that additional bridge they are constructing in front of PPL factory at Kapurbawadi junction?

The one which is directly in line with the temple, I guess its the service road extension which then joins the service road opp the Cinemax/Wondermall. It will be interesting to see whether the bridge manages to break the temple which is bang in the middle of the road or cross above the temple.

[Jignesh]

Hello All,

West bound traffic on JVLR (from Powai to JVLR Junction on Western Express Highway) is currently dead slow & the traffic has lined up 3.5 kms from JVLR unction to SEEPZ fly-over & further building up. Does anybody knows the reason for this traffic jam?

Similarly traffic on Western express Highway is slow from start of Jogeshwari Flyover to JVLR Junction & further till Majas depot. Reason - nothing in particular.

Thanks,