Bhubaneswar pedestrians, particularly senior citizens, are being forced onto busy roads as parked cars, motorcycles, vendors and motorists using footpaths occupy designated walking space across several parts of the city, residents said. The encroachment has raised fresh concerns about pedestrian safety and enforcement of the Supreme Court’s directions on walkable roads.
The problem is particularly visible along the Patia-Damana and Patia-KIIT Square stretches, according to residents. Sujit Kumar Nayak of Patia said footpaths meant to provide safe walking space were increasingly being occupied by vehicles, leaving pedestrians with little room to pass.
The Supreme Court said in June that the right to walk forms part of citizens’ fundamental right to life and free movement. The court also asked the Centre to enact a law mandating well-demarcated footpaths on every road to improve pedestrian safety.
Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das said the civic body was taking action against encroachments. “We are also stopping illegal parking on footpaths. Necessary steps are being taken to ensure that footpaths are used by pedestrians,” she said. She added that vendors encroaching on footpaths were being evicted.
Senior citizens said the loss of walking space affects both their daily mobility and morning routines. Retired bureaucrat Prasanna Mishra, a resident of Kalpana, said parked vehicles forced pedestrians onto carriageways where they had to navigate fast-moving cars, buses and two-wheelers. He criticised the police for not taking swift enforcement action and said Supreme Court directions were not being implemented effectively.
Residents also alleged that some motorcyclists use footpaths as shortcuts during peak traffic hours. Susanta Sahoo of Pokhariput said two-wheelers were also seen entering wrong-side lanes to avoid congestion, increasing the risk of collisions with pedestrians and vehicles travelling in the correct direction.
Residents of Unit-2 and Master Canteen said the violations pointed to a lack of regular monitoring. They urged traffic police and civic authorities to conduct frequent inspections, remove illegally parked vehicles and act against motorists driving on footpaths or using wrong-side lanes.
The stretches around Patia, Damana, KIIT Square and Nandan Vihar carry traffic generated by residential neighbourhoods, educational institutions, commercial establishments and daily commuter movement. Manoj Samanataray of Sailashree Vihar said rising vehicle volumes had increased pressure on limited road space and made footpath encroachment more serious. He said accidents also occurred at times.
Residents have sought clearly marked parking spaces, signboards and barricades at vulnerable points to prevent vehicles from entering pedestrian areas. They also called for stricter monitoring during morning hours, when senior citizens, joggers and other pedestrians use the affected stretches. The civic body and traffic authorities are expected to continue enforcement against illegal parking, footpath encroachment and wrong-side driving.
