Newlinkroad's Blog

On the Link Road at Borivali and Dahisar West in North Mumbai, we are blessed with broad footpaths, all the more necessary since the Link Road is an arterial high traffic density road and pedestrians must walk on footpaths if they care for their lives. In the last week of September 2014 a lady quietly spread her mat and started selling vegetables on the footpath, opposite DMart and the Kanderpada Police chowky at Dahisar West. Dr. Mathew asked her how come you have started selling vegetables on space meant for citizens to walk.

Figure 1 The lady vegetable vendor on Link Road

She started giving a long account of how she was here before the Police chowky came into existence, and named the sitting MLA and his son the sitting Corporator as the ones who had asked her to sit here and sell vegetables. He politely requested her to leave. She refused saying that she is not creating any trouble for anyone and no one is objecting!

Dr. Mathew immediately alerted the other members of the New Link Road Residents Forum.

Figure 2 The Vegetable Vendor on our footpath

They then swung into action and together met her. She initially objected, saying that she has bought the stock and has to finish them.

The members persisted and as a result within two days the vegetable vendor disappeared from there, and we had our precious footpath to walk safely on.

Now we are celebrating the open and hawker-free footpaths and thanking our active residents from the New Link Road Residents Forum.

If you notice a hawker on a road you can definitely do the same, politely and without fear. It is your right as a citizen of the country! Go ahead and try it. We are with you!