The BMC installed fibre railings or guardrails at pavement stretches across the city, claiming that it would prevent cars from driving up on to the sidewalks and parking there, as well as deter hawkers. While cars continue to be parked on footpaths in several parts of the city, these railings now serve as hangers for hawkers’ wares which, in turn, makes it difficult for pedestrians to navigate the pavements.

A three-part series on arbitrary installation of railings, through visits to various spots in the city to find out how these railings are utilised showed they were used for  other reasons than what they were actually installed for. Prime amongst this was railings that had been taken over by hawkers as clothes hangers. There were also clothes drying on railings. Ropes and strings had been tied on railings to make hammocks for children.