Bhubaneswar pedestrians are being forced onto busy roads as parked vehicles, vendors and two-wheelers occupy footpaths, raising immediate safety concerns across several high-traffic stretches of the city. The civic body said it is removing encroachments and stopping illegal parking, but residents continue to report weak enforcement.
The problem is particularly visible along the Patia-Damana and Patia-KIIT Square stretches, according to resident Sujit Kumar Nayak. Footpaths intended to provide separated walking space are increasingly being used for vehicle parking and movement, leaving pedestrians to share carriageways with cars, buses and motorcycles.
Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das said the civic body was taking action against both vendors and vehicles occupying footpaths. “We are also stopping illegal parking on footpaths. Necessary steps are being taken to ensure that footpaths are used by pedestrians,” she said.
The issue has created particular difficulties for senior citizens, many of whom depend on footpaths for morning walks and routine activities. Retired bureaucrat Prasanna Mishra, a resident of Kalpana, said parked vehicles were pushing people into the path of fast-moving traffic and criticised the police for not taking swift enforcement action. He also said that Supreme Court directives on pedestrian rights were not being implemented effectively.
Commuters and residents also alleged that some motorcyclists use footpaths as shortcuts during peak traffic hours. Susanta Sahoo, a resident of Pokhariput, said two-wheelers were also seen entering wrong-side lanes to bypass congestion, increasing the risk of collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles moving in the correct direction.
Residents of Unit-2 and Master Canteen said the problem reflected a lack of regular monitoring. They urged traffic police and civic officials to inspect vulnerable stretches frequently, remove illegally parked vehicles and penalise motorists who drive on footpaths or use 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 commuters. Resident Manoj Samanataray of Sailashree Vihar said rising vehicle volumes had added pressure to limited road space and made footpath encroachment more serious, with accidents occurring at times.
Residents have called for clearly marked parking areas, signboards and barricades at vulnerable points to stop vehicles from entering pedestrian spaces. They have also sought stricter monitoring during morning hours, when senior citizens, joggers and other pedestrians are most likely to use these routes. The civic body’s stated next step is continued eviction of footpath encroachments and action against illegal parking, while residents are seeking more consistent enforcement by both civic and traffic authorities.
