Two-thirds city roads lack footpaths, 90% cycle tracks not up to standard: PMC

The ESR also mentioned two important decisions by the Supreme Court, stating they will have a direct impact on the responsibilities of the civic body regarding pedestrian infrastructure. In a judgment, Justice P S Narsimha and Justice Atul Chandurkar, held that the right to walk on a footpath is a fundamental right conferred by the Constitution, which is also linked to the right to life. The bench also clarified that pedestrians have priority over motor vehicles, but this right is subject to reasonable restrictions.

In another case, the bench of Justices A S Oka and Ujjwal Bhayan held that barrier-free, disability-friendly footpaths are a fundamental right and directed all states and Union Territories to formulate a comprehensive footpath policy. “If both these decisions are considered separately, it becomes clear that the availability of footpaths, their maintenance and upkeep are not constitutional requirements and are not optional in the development of infrastructure,” the ESR stated.

According to the Comprehensive Road Assessment Report 2024-25 of the PMC, the quality of around 35 km of cycle tracks on 19 major roads in the city was assessed. These roads were divided into 77 sections of 500 metres each and were assessed on the basis of safety, ease of use and accessibility for the period from April 2024 to March 2025. Of the cycle tracks surveyed, 90 per cent did not meet the expected quality standards. Baner Road was found to be the most satisfactory in terms of safety and ease of use, while Fergusson College Road and Jangli Maharaj Road recorded good performance on the road network. “The Municipal Corporation’s ‘CMP’ (Comprehensive Mobility Plan) has set a target of increasing the share of non-motorised vehicles in single journeys by 50 per cent by 2030. However, the quality of existing cycle tracks is not sufficient for that purpose,” the ESR stated.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Madhav Jagtap said the ESR’s outcome has been taken up with the civic Road department.

Given that the city hosted the Pune Grand Tour, an international cycle marathon, this year with much fanfare and has planned a second Pune Grand Tour next year in January, the government is spending a lot to create infrastructure for the cycle race in the city.

Parisar, a city-based NGO, also carried out a performance review of PMC’s footpath grievance redress system based on 302 complaints received. 114 complaints have reached full resolution, while 59 remain in the active “in-process” stage. This indicates that 173 complaints, or approximately 57 per cent of the total volume, have successfully entered the municipal administrative workflow, leaving a deficit of 129 complaints (43 per cent) that are either awaiting initial processing, have been rejected, or are stuck.

As per a state Government order dated 10 November 2025, which was issued following directions of the Supreme Court of India, all municipal corporations must ensure that complaints on footpaths and encroachments are resolved within 15 days and delays will trigger automatic escalation to senior levels.

“With 120 pedestrian fatalities in Pune in the past year, an effective grievance redress system is critical. It must be both responsive and visible to citizens. Based on our experience, we recommend converting Twitter complaints into registered complaints with token numbers, enable photo uploads on the WhatsApp bot, ensure automatic escalation of unresolved complaints after 15 days, make photo evidence a requirement when closing complaints and mandate monthly reviews of grievances by ward officers,” said Ranjit Gadgil, programme director, Parisar.