Several governments across the world are encouraging their citizens to walk to work. Unfortunately, our government is in no position to ask its people to walk. With pavements often a foot above road level, pedestrians have little incentive to use them. Sidewalks have become the greatest misnomer in our city, as people seldom walk along the side of the road.
Luz Corner, in the bustling hub of Mylapore, is a nightmare for pedestrians. The undulating pavements are occupied by hawkers, and even the vacant portions are barely navigable. This forces pedestrians to walk on the road, which is a serious risk, especially along the two one-ways at the junction where vehicles make speedy turns. Besides, crossing the road is a bigger challenge. The zebra crossings that once existed have either faded or covered with a new layer of tar. On the Royapettah High Road side, where the median ends, an array of barricades are placed, ensuring that vehicles on the right lane of the one-way can only turn right. There is but a small gap between the median and the barricades for pedestrians to cross through, and this is often used by motorists who change lanes at the last moment. It is unfortunate that junctions like these test the patience and alertness of pedestrians.
While some arterial roads have subways and foot over bridges for crossing, the issue of sidewalks still remains unaddressed. This problem is not confined to busy roads alone. The by-lanes of Chennai have equally poor infrastructure and are just as dangerous. The sidewalks here, if any, are often occupied by trees, garbage and rubble, and have ramps leading in and out of buildings. With the edges of the road invariably taken up by parked vehicles, pedestrians are forced to walk in the middle of an already narrow road.
However, pedestrians add to these problems as well. We have been conditioned to walk on the roads for so long that we ignore the few navigable sidewalks in our city.
Initiatives like Chennai City Connect ( >chennaicityconnect.com ) are helping us make our streets smart and safe. They focus on traffic-related issues, and have successfully implemented projects to provide clean, accessible sidewalks. They research and document findings and collaborate with the Corporation to arrive at feasible solutions. People can volunteer and help them in various activities which can help our neighbourhoods. We must use sidewalks whenever possible and strive to create pedestrian-friendly streets. vikram.mankal@gmail.com
