The Hindu 13.07.2009
Pedestrians hamstrung by space crunch city pulse City Bureau
| In most busy junctions, there are either no or poorly maintained facilities for pedestrians |
Shrinking space: A timber shop in Ashok Nagar has usurped the footpath denying pedestrians a safe walking path.
CHENNAI: The introduction of a better footpath facility for visually impaired persons in front of the Chennai Corporation building is a welcome change long overdue. But pedestrians want more safe walkways across the city.
It is ironic that while doctors prescribe walking and cycling to keep fit, the city does not offer pedestrians the required safety or space for such healthy activities.
“My doctor has suggested that I walk as much as possible for good quality of life. I jokingly told him that if I did, in West Mambalam, where I live, I’m likely to get my lifespan reduced,” says S. Ramamoorthy, and long-time resident of the area. “These days, residents in flats do not have parking inside the complex, so they park the cars on the pavements, cramping the already crowded road space,” he adds.
Everywhere across the city residents complain of poorly maintained footpaths. “An example of a badly maintained footpath is evident at Konnur High Road. Shops and commercial establishments have damaged a major portion of the newly-laid footpath by displaying their wares,” says social activist K. Ramadoss.
Following examples set elsewhere, walkers in the city have launched associations to highlight the importance of footpaths to local authorities, who have responsibility for maintaining rights of way within their area.
“The government constantly makes big claims about taking people off the road. But most of the big infrastructure projects are vehicle-centric. The basic concern is how to transport a volume of cars from one place to another. Public infrastructure is in many ways a class issue,” says T. Venkat, Walking Classes Unite, a non-governmental organisation.
Transportation expert A. Veeraraghavan says what is needed is a political will to ensure that pedestrians have right of way. Most pavements do not conform to the Indian Road Congress guidelines, he points out. “In an area like the Central Railway Station, which is used by about 4,000 people every hour, the width of the footpath should be 4m. The width of the footpath should be 5ft for all roads and the sidewalk in shopping areas should be 2.5m wide.”
Adherence to the guidelines, strict enforcement of rules, ensuring safety of pedestrians in the existing subways, and adoption of better road and pavement designs are necessary, he says.
According to official statistics, a third of accident related deaths involve pedestrians.
In most busy junctions and along one-way roads which take a high density of automobile traffic, there are either no facilities or poorly planned facilities for pedestrians.
Traffic police officials concede that pedestrians are the most vulnerable of road users. In the last 18 months nearly 360 pedestrians have died and 1,960 pedestrians have been injured.
Government efforts
Adding to the pedestrians woes’ are new development plans.
The proposal to build more subways was shelved when the Metro Rail project was introduced.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has conducted a massive study and the reports are expected to be tabled soon.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation is making efforts to develop pedestrian-friendly footpaths. According to Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni a footpath proposed along a small stretch of Lattice Bridge Road from Shastri Nagar junction to M.G. Road junction, would ensure that hindrances such as junction boxes are shifted.
The height of the footpath would be six inches, he added.
The groundwork for the initiative was done by City Connect, a non-governmental organisation and backed by the Confederation of Indian Industry.
The civic agency has been using the standard prescribed by the Indian Road Congress of 10 inches for constructed of footpath.
The model project was already in progress at T. Nagar, Anna Nagar and Mylapore.
(With inputs from Ramya Kannan, R. Sujatha, R. Srikanth and Ajai Sreevatsan)
