Pedestrian Injured in Tempo Accident: Aam Aadmi Party Slams Pune Municipal Corporation Over Footpath Encroachments
A pedestrian was seriously injured on Aundh Road after blocked footpaths forced her on the road. AAP demands urgent action from PMC to safeguard walkers.
Pune, 26 November 2025: A serious road accident on Aundh Road has once again exposed Pune’s long-standing pedestrian safety crisis. On 3 November 2025, 65-year-old Anita Malhotra suffered severe leg fractures after being hit by a tempo near MM Hotel. CCTV footage revealed that she had no choice but to walk on the main road because the footpath along that stretch was completely blocked by illegal encroachments. The shocking visuals intensified public anger, with many residents asserting that the tragedy was not an accident but the result of prolonged and blatant civic negligence. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly criticised the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), alleging that the civic body has repeatedly ignored complaints about unsafe and obstructed footpaths. According to local AAP representatives who visited the site and met the victim, the pavements from Aundh Road to Khadki Railway Station are almost entirely unusable due to unauthorized vendors, flower stalls, debris, and poorly maintained infrastructure. The party noted that senior citizens and school-going children are the worst affected, as they are routinely forced to step onto fast-moving traffic because of the lack of a walkable, continuous footpath.
Residents say this is part of a larger pattern. Earlier this year, a 73-year-old motorcyclist died following a mishap in Aundh allegedly caused by irregular road surfacing and uneven pavement gaps. Several pedestrian rights groups have been warning that basic walking infrastructure in Pune is collapsing. Many footpaths, they claim, are clogged with electric poles, utility boxes, parked two-wheelers, waste piles, and even water-logged pits. As urban planners repeatedly point out, the absence of safe pedestrian mobility disproportionately harms the elderly and people with disabilities, making daily commutes dangerous and unpredictable. AAP, highlighting Malhotra’s case as a wake-up call, has demanded immediate removal of all encroachments, proper maintenance and levelling of pavements, repair of exposed electrical wiring, and the creation of a dedicated grievance redressal system for pedestrian complaints. The party has also urged PMC to allocate at least 1% of its annual budget to public awareness campaigns and traffic safety improvements.
Critics argue that the civic body’s inaction violates state directives and Supreme Court guidelines requiring municipalities to ensure pedestrian rights. Despite occasional announcements about walkability audits and beautification drives, residents say the execution remains half-hearted. Last year’s citywide audit on safe mobility, which promised repairs and obstruction-free footpaths, slowed down and eventually stalled. Some activists believe PMC’s inconsistent follow-up, frequent digging by multiple departments, and poorly coordinated restoration work continue to worsen walkability rather than improve it. With pedestrian fatalities rising this year—including more than 70 deaths recorded in just the first half—urban safety experts insist that Pune must treat footpath improvement as a core civic priority rather than an afterthought.
Following public pressure after Malhotra’s accident, PMC has reportedly resumed repairs under the walkability audit, focusing on Aundh, FC Road, Baner and major commuting belts. However, residents remain skeptical, citing repeated cycles of temporary fixes, encroachment return, lax enforcement, and lack of accountability. Many believe this renewed attention may fade unless strong political will accompanies the engineering solutions. They argue that pedestrian safety is not a matter of urban beautification but a fundamental civic right. In the case of 65-year-old Malhotra, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder that unsafe footpaths and failed enforcement can directly endanger lives. Unless PMC prioritizes continuous, obstruction-free, well-designed pedestrian infrastructure, such incidents will continue to occur across Pune.
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