During the 16-day long ‘Mission Footpath Freedom’ campaign of the City Traffic Police, the police took action against 4,250 persons for illegal parking and encroachments on city footpaths. The initiative aimed to make footpaths open for pedestrian use. The encroached footpath was becoming a persistent problem of obstruction as it forced people onto busy roads and contributed to accidents. Last year, 70 pedestrian deaths in Nagpur city were attributed to this issue. ‘Mission Footpath Freedom’ specifically targeted illegal parking under sections 102, 117, and 122/177 of the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA).

 

 

Flying squads and towing vehicles were deployed across all ten police divisions to enforce the regulations. In total, 305 vehicles were towed, 592 persons were penalised under sections 102 and 117 of MVA and 3,353 persons faced charges under sections 122 and 177 of MVA. A senior police official stated that the campaign has improved the condition of footpaths throughout Nagpur city. The campaign’s impact is summarised in the table.