Car ramps razed to improve footpaths

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) move to make footpaths in Santacruz East pedestrian-friendly has drawn the ire of residents.

- Sabah Virani

MUMBAI: At least 12 vehicle ramps in the area, cutting across footpaths, have been razed without any consultation to housing societies, said residents. Given the considerable height gap between housing society premises and the road, residents are unable to take their cars even in times of emergency, they said.

"We're trying to make footpaths pedestrian-friendly, as per standards of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC)," said additional municipal commissioner, Abhijit Bangar. "We can't have footpaths wherein the slope completely dominates it."

But Santacruz East residents alleged they were not even informed about the decision to raze the ramps leading from their buildings to the road.

"Work on concretising storm water drains and roads in our area, TPS 3, began around a month ago," said Paresh Vora, treasurer, Santacruz East Residents Association (SERA). Since the drains were located beneath footpaths, when footpaths were razed along with the ramps, residents assumed they would be built back once concretisation work was over.