India, Aug. 16 -- The fight for footpaths in one of Mumbai's most upscale neighbourhoods has turned urgent after the death of 75-year-old Neeta Shah, a familiar face in Malabar Hill's morning and evening walking circuit.

Residents say the lack of continuous, unobstructed footpaths has long forced them onto busy roads - a daily gamble with speeding traffic. On Tuesday, that gamble cost 75-year-old Neeta Shah her life. She was out for her daily 9AM walk when she was trapped between a parked car and a passing BEST bus outside Sahyadri Guest House. She was crushed to death.

Her neighbours say the reason was brutally simple: there were no usable footpaths. "The road she used daily has footpaths only in patches, many of which are illegally en...