Pedestrians: An endangered species

Who is the pedestrian? He is the man on the road-literally and figuratively.The common man who depends on his two legs as the main mode of t...

5 min readMay 21, 1998 12:00 AM IST

Who is the pedestrian? He is the man on the road-literally and figuratively.The common man who depends on his two legs as the main mode of transportation.

That one unit of traffic that neither consumes energy nor causes pollution and is thus the least thought about facet of our traffic system.

Despite being in the majority in most third world countries, the pedestrian is today the most ignored and brushed away unit who is constantly bullied on the road, almost never has right of way and who is perpetually at the mercy of motorists who are in the habit of thinking that the roads belong to them.So much so, that this bewildered man who has learned to fend for himself in this vast jungle of urban traffic is almost made to feel apologetic today about his mere existence on the street.

Thus, though disturbing, it is by no means surprising to note that accidents involving pedestrians have become an almost regular feature of life. And in a city like Pune where there are no pedestrian plazas, limited subways, pavements that are rendered ineffective by virtue of encroachment by either hawkers or slum dwellers and a total lack of respect for traffic rules amongst motorists, the pedestrians here end up being vulnerable beyond imagination. Lending credence to the above, are the staggering figures of the number of pedestrians who have been either fatally or seriously injured in the city in the past three months- all indisputable proof of the fact that the pedestrian is generally regarded as little more than a dispensable commodity who has no right to be on the road by the menacing wheels that zip across the roads throwing caution to the winds.

In the month of February this year, a total of 11 pedestrians were killed and 10 seriously injured in road accidents. Out of the 11 fatal accidents involving pedestrians four had been knocked down by trucks, three by cars, one by a matador, one by a tempo and two by two-wheelers. Intriguingly most of the cases also took place in the overcrowded and accident prone areas of Bhosari, Deccan and Yerwada. Coming to March, the number of pedestrians killed on the roads were nine, while five others were seriously injured.

Here again the main culprits were trucks, followed by jeeps and tempos- all vehicles most prone to speed with the steering being in the hands of rash or inexperienced drivers. The most oft repeated places where the accidents took place were Pimpri, the notorious Mumbai-Pune highway and Kothrud.

In April, while the figure showing accidents involving pedestrians is relatively low, there is still the record of five persons having lost their lives and six seriously injured on the roads of Pune. Out of the five killed, three had been victims of hit and run accidents, while the seriously injured were knocked down by cars, M-80s, autorickshaws and in one case even by a PMT bus. Two of the fatal accidents happened on the Mumbai-Pune road, one on M.G.Road, one in Swargate and one on Sus road.

Story continues below this ad

Taking an over view of the last three months there have been 24 pedestrians killed on the roads of Pune while 21 were seriously injured. What this proves beyond dispute, is the sheer impunity with which laws seem to be broken by motorists and the scant respect they seem to have for people walking on the roads.

Ask the families of Pushpak Solanki or Anita Londe of Bhosari, Umesh Rajed or Shashikant Thite of Deccan, Nirmala Morwani and Prabahkar Yashwant of Pimpri and they would tell you what it feels to see a family member walk out of the house perfectly healthy in the morning for a routine job, only to see him or her the next time lying in a morgue after being crushed under merciless wheels. Like Brigadier Prabhakaran Shivraj Pillai who was crushed under a tanker on Sus road on May 17 or Baban Nimhan who was done to death as he sat on his stationary motorcycle on the side of the road when a water tanker rammed into him, again on Sus road.

Sus road, in fact, seems to have assumed demonic proportions for the pedestrians over the past month with Bhiku Ganpat Deokar also succumbing to a hit and run case on April 30 on that very road.

Thus every second that the pedestrians spend on the street, they per force expose themselves to dangers that are beyond their control that could well make all the difference between life and death.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More

Loading Recommendations...

May 16: Latest News

Live Blog