Footpath, cycle track needed urgently on Karve Road

There are a number of schools located in the SNDT/Canal road area. Hundreds of schoolchildren in the age group of about 10 to 16 years commute to school on bicycles from Kothrud and Paud road side. Many children also walk to school.

These children have to use the Karve Road stretch from Paud phata junction to SNDT junction. There is heavy traffic on this stretch coming from Kothrud and Paud road with a substanial proportion of PMPML, State Transport and company buses.

Further ahead there is cross movement of traffic as lane changing is required for proceeding towards Karve road or Canal road. Presently the road from Paud phata junction to SNDT junction does not have a footpath and cycle track.

The road conditions are hence precarious with cyclists being most vulnerable. Children on bicycles or on foot have to use the carriageway of the road and are not at all safe in the midst of the heavy traffic.

As the density of children and also adult cyclists as well as pedestrians is high, w e have long been demanding a usable footpath and cycle track on the Paud phata - SNDT stretch for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

We had prepared a NMT plan for the area and submitted to PMC in April 2008.

However, we were told by PMC that storm water line is to be laid in the stretch and footpath / cycle track will be provided only thereafter. This work had been inordinately delayed but has since been completed. Though several weeks have passed since the storm water pipes have been laid there is no progress in the matter of providing footpath and cycle track.

... contd.