And I want you to know, the recent conflict in Bengaluru behind St. Joseph College about parking an elderly person and a younger one had no other option before an angry mob started chasing that person. The whole thing underscores the bigger problem in Bengaluru: The place is really a footpath and there are roads in the city, but all roads are always used by vehicles even though we want to make walking and cyclists safe.
Witnesses reported that at one point in the incident a scooter rider on the walkway tried to race ahead and the uncle who was walking and had walked to get down agreed to help and the rider was throwing his arms up. The intensity of the clash shocked everyone since the uncle had already cooperated. The man got nervous and shouted to get out but this issue of respect for public spaces and pedestrians in the area around MG Road was brought up.
Footpaths are there for people to walk, a lot because traffic lights or street lighting for instance have been cut down on and many streets in busy places in a very busy city. Footpaths provide security from vehicles that can keep people walking under way in a fast travelling traffic stream and people who are too old to go anywhere at their young age, and other vulnerable people with disabilities or those who live and work alone will feel safe, so footpaths are a great place for people walking very much. When two‑wheelers are able to use footpaths not just break the traffic rules to navigate but cross the road. Pedestrians walking on busy roads are the same people as drivers and so too are other drivers, we have to keep ourselves happy and safe as well.
Bengaluru has long struggled with traffic congestion, narrow roads and encroached footpaths. Pedestrians are blocked by vendors, parked vehicles and broken sidewalks and many are pushed onto the street. On the road, impatient riders drive slowly and deliberately using footpaths in the rush hours so there is constant anger between walker and passenger with arguments and sometimes accidents. Thanks to the big city growth, these problems are being exposed, and especially on MG Road to the core.
The clash near St. Joseph College is more than a small matter which is not only a reflection of the urban mobility but also how local society has shown it must pay lip service to public street safety in and around it in Bengaluru. Pedestrians can have safe footpaths and riders can have wide roads, but both groups need to follow rules. For a safe environment both groups will have to be at the heart of road use and the rules to ensure them. And as a side line to a lesson the incident should teach: safety and respect are needed for shared urban space.
