Kakkanad accident draws attention to need for footpaths in Greater Kochi

The fatal accident on the narrow and congested IMG Junction-Infopark road on Wednesday (November 4, 2024), in which a woman pedestrian was knocked down by a private bus coming from the opposite direction, sheds light on the need for dedicated footpaths in the Greater Kochi area.

In the absence of a dedicated footpath, the woman was walking along one side of the road when the speeding bus rammed her. Still, barring arterial roads, most roads in Kochi and its suburbs are barely wide enough for two lanes, with little or no dedicated space for pedestrians. In the city centre, most footpaths redeveloped by Cochin Smart Mission Limited and Kochi Metro Rail Limited remain poorly maintained following the expiry of their three-year defect liability period.

Expressing shock at the raw deal being meted out to pedestrians, architect Monolita Chatterjee, chairperson of the Indian Institute of Architects-Kerala Chapter, said it was high time policymakers and road designers looked at the issue from the perspective of equity. After all, a civilised society ought to protect the weakest. When it comes to safe spaces for walking, pedestrians deserve their due in the form of dedicated footpaths and well-marked zebra crossings at frequent intervals. On the contrary, vehicles, especially cars, are often parked haphazardly even on the limited stretches of roads in Kochi that have footpaths. Children, elderly people, whose numbers are increasing, and women are severely affected by this.

Moreover, the government and its agencies are doing little to carve out dedicated footpaths and safe walking spaces alongside roads, despite accidents involving pedestrians and a Supreme Court verdict recognising their fundamental right to clean and wide footpaths. This has resulted in people, especially the elderly, either fearing to step out of their homes or venturing out in private vehicles. This, coupled with inadequate public transport, adds to traffic congestion and contributes to climate change, Ms. Chatterjee said.

Echoing a similar view, D. Dhanuraj, chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Research, said it was high time the government put in place seamless public infrastructure, including footpaths, and a well-networked, modern public transport system. “This will make people feel safer and encourage them to walk more. Ultimately, this will also reduce congestion, pollution and accidents.”

Referring to the accident-prone Collectorate Junction-IMG Junction-Infopark road corridor, M.S. Anilkumar, chairman of the development standing committee of Thrikkakara municipality, said municipality representatives would meet the District Collector on Saturday (November 7, 2026) to find a lasting solution to the problem of roads without footpaths in Thrikkakara.

“Of this, the two-km-long IMG Junction-Infopark stretch, where accident occurred on Wednesday, has no footpaths. Moreover, the road has an average width of just eight metres, although land was acquired many years ago to develop it into a 22-metre-wide road.”

The Collector will also be apprised of the need to widen the two-lane stretches of the Seaport-Airport Road and construct footpaths on either side, as land acquired for a 30-metre-wide road more than 25 years ago remains unused despite a phenomenal increase in traffic congestion. Any further delay could lead to more fatal and other accidents, he added.