In a courageous act, a 45-year-old woman from Aundh, Pune, stood up against bikers who were riding on a footpath while she was out walking her dog on University Road. Unfortunately, her bravery led to verbal abuse and injuries when she was hit by one of the bikes.
The woman, identified as Vidya, lodged a complaint with the police stating that she tripped and got entangled with the leash in her hand after being collided with by one of the bikes near Bal Kalyan Sanstha on University Road at around 9 am. Disturbingly, despite the incident taking place in a public space, none of the onlookers came forward to assist her, leaving her disappointed and in need of help.
Vidya immediately dialed the police helpline, but it took them 40 minutes to arrive at the scene. She subsequently filed a complaint with the Chatushrungi police, leading to the registration of a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act. She provided the police with a video clip capturing the bikers on the footpath and identified the registration number of the bike that hit her. However, the accused is yet to be arrested.
Senior Inspector Balaji Pandhare of the Chatushrungi police stated that they are working on tracking down the bike owner using the registration number. He refuted Vidya’s claim regarding the delay in police response, attributing it to traffic congestion caused by ongoing Metro rail work in the area.
According to Vidya’s account, she was walking her dog on the footpath when some two-wheeler riders began honking at her. As she refused to give way, a confrontation ensued, and one biker deliberately rode his bike towards her, hitting her hand with the handlebar. Despite witnessing the collision, the biker continued riding ahead, causing Vidya to fall and be dragged for a few seconds as the leash got entangled with the bike. Instead of apologizing, the biker became angry and demanded that she pick up his bike.
Vidya sustained bruises on her body and called the police while asking the biker to wait. However, he fled the scene. The onlookers, who supported the bikers, also behaved inappropriately, adding to Vidya’s dismay. When her husband arrived, another biker, accompanied by a female passenger, drove at them and hit her husband for refusing to move from the footpath.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vijay Magar emphasized that driving on footpaths is illegal, and the police take regular action against offenders. He also highlighted the importance of examining the design of roads and footpaths to ensure a safe environment for pedestrians.
This incident sheds light on the ongoing issue of vehicles encroaching on footpaths and emphasizes the need to enforce traffic regulations to protect pedestrians and create a safer city for all.
