Gurgaon: For hundreds of office-goers stepping out of offices and factories along Rao Gajraj Singh Marg in the evening, the journey home begins with a daily struggle to find space on the road. With no proper footpaths, vehicles moving in both directions on a narrow stretch and poor illumination at most places, pedestrians are forced to walk along the road edges, often inches away from moving traffic.The road, one of the key stretches serving Udyog Vihar, caters to thousands of commuters and is lined with offices, factories and commercial establishments. Yet, despite the heavy movement of people on foot, there is little dedicated space for them to walk safely. Open manholes and parked vehicles narrow the space available to them, making an already difficult commute more hazardous.“There is hardly any walkable space, so we have to walk along the edge of the road while vehicles pass close to us,” Shikha Awasthi, who works in Udyog Vihar-5, told TOI, adding, “In some places, the street is so poorly lit that we can barely see the road ahead. You have to keep watching the traffic as well as where you are stepping. During the monsoon, the waterlogged stretch made it impossible to cross and had to take the auto to reach the main road. But they also charge exorbitantly during that time.”The situation becomes particularly difficult after dark, when office workers and factory employees leave for home. Several sections lack adequate street lighting, leaving pedestrians dependent on the headlights of passing vehicles and illumination spilling from nearby offices or factories. Near Defence Canteen, two-way traffic leaves particularly little room for people walking along the road edges.The lack of safe walking space is also a concern for women working in the area, many of whom use the road after evening shifts. With limited illumination and no clearly demarcated pedestrian zone, walking along the stretch raises concerns not only about road safety but also about personal security.“You also have to watch out for manholes instead of being able to walk freely,” Aarti Dagar, another commuter, said, adding, “I use this road regularly and the biggest problem is that there is hardly any continuous space to walk. At some points, parked vehicles block the road edge, forcing pedestrians to move closer to moving traffic. If a vehicle approaches from behind, there is very little room to move aside. This road used by so many people should at least have a safe, unobstructed walking path.”The industrial association said that the road has been long neglected despite witnessing heavy movement. President of Gurgaon Udyog Association Praveen Yadav told TOI, “This is a key road for Udyog Vihar, used by a large number of employees travelling between different sectors of Gurgaon and Delhi. However, the road lacks proper footpaths and street lighting and its condition has deteriorated further after the rains. In the absence of designated walking space, pedestrians are forced to share the road with heavy traffic, which becomes particularly risky after dark. Not only industrial area, but this road also caters to nearby residential area too. Moreover, there are lakhs of people employed in Udyog Vihar, with significant number of women employees, so basic road safety including streetlight should not be ignored. We have raised the issues with the authorities from time to time, but the work required here is yet to be carried out adequately.”A GMDA official said that there is no immediate plan for the road. “We will take it up for a comprehensive plan now that the metro alignment has been changed. Earlier, the metro was planned along this road so we could not proceed with any other development. There are some constraints, including a land-related issue near the defence area and a 66 kV power line, which reduced the available space in some portion of the road. Streetlights fall under the purview of MCG,” the official said.An MCG official said the matter would be looked into. “If the existing streetlights need repairs, the work will be taken up on priority. If new lights are required, we will prepare an estimate and take up the work accordingly,” the official said.The road needed to be developed with proper planning, similar to other streets in Udyog Vihar, instead of being addressed through isolated interventions, experts said. “The lack of lighting is particularly concerning because many women work in the area and use the road after dark, making it a safety issue as well,” founder of Raahgiri Foundation Sarika Panda Bhatt told TOI, adding, “This is the key road and still does not have proper footpaths, drainage and street lighting. At least roads in Udyog Vihar should be developed keeping in view of heavy footfall as it is key employment hub with every strata of people working here. The work should be done through comprehensive design.”“Ad hoc work without proper design and planning will fail to solve the problem. Whenever a road is developed, it should be looked at holistically, including footpaths, drainage, lighting, green spaces, vendors and junction safety. Different agencies often work on roads, drains and sewers separately, and a small stretch of interlocking tiles laid over a drain is sometimes treated as a footpath. This is not how a street should be planned. Moreover, there are large trees along this road, so the design should ensure that these are preserved. A permeable walking path can be built to allow rainwater to seep into the ground,” Panda added.
