A meeting was held on 13th January 2018 in Ranchi to discuss the need of formation of Pedestrian Forum for Equal Road Rights. The observations and lessons learnt from the last year’s SUM Net project of ‘Walkability and Women’ in Ranchi was shared with everyone. Dr. Vishwanath Azad, the convener of this meeting, emphasized that the pedestrians should be top priority in the city of Ranchi in line with National Urban Transport Policy.
In addition to this, the observations from a mapping exercise conducted on three roads of Ranchi as part of this year’s SUM Net project was also shared. Peak hour pedestrian flow, condition of the footpath and utilities on the road were some of the data points that were collected. The possible avenues for activism and public intervention was discussed with all the attendees. A list of stakeholders was created on the basis of suggestions given by people which included school and educational institutions, MLAs, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, etc.
The meeting concluded with the formation of an 11 member Pedestrian Forum which will spearhead the campaign of ensuring equal road rights for Pedestrians. A draft letter was also written which will be shared with the Ranchi Municipal Corporation.
