Pedestrians will be substantially taken care of as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority goes about implementing the ‘vision 2026’ in its second master plan that will provide many grade-separated zebra crossings and foot overbridges in the non-motorised transport segment costing about Rs353 crore, according to CMDA deputy planner K Rajamanickam.

Speaking at the launch of Green Chronicle’s second chapter, ‘Paving Chennai’ at the Anna University on Sunday, Mr Rajamanickam said, “CMDA has suggested redeeming the existing footpaths from encroachments such as flag posts, hoardings, hawkers, shops, places of worship, eat-outs, parking of vehicles and piling construction materials.”

Paving way for pedestrians

Chennai Mayor Saidai S. Duraisamy on Sunday announced that the corporation is working on steps to remove obstructions on the pavements such as transformers and telephone junction boxes to ensure free movement of pedestrians.

Delivering his keynote address at the launch of the second chapter, ‘Paving Chennai - for safe and clean footpaths’ as part of Deccan Chronicle’s eco-initiative ‘Green Chronicle’ at Anna University, the Mayor said that it is difficult to even climb the pavement’s in the city as most of them are constructed 1.5 ft above the road surface. “It seems to have been designed for the encroachers, not for the pedestrians,” he quipped.

Mr Duraisamy said that even in the existing pavements there were lot of obstructions – streetlights, traffic signboards, telephone junction boxes and trees – hindering pedestrians. “We are working on how to remove such obstructions from the pavements,” he said.

The Mayor also announced that private companies have approached the civic body to set up skywalks in the city to help pedestrians negotiate busy traffic junctions. “We are conducting studies to consider construction of skywalks in public-private partnerships,” he said.

Stating that the corporation was committed to develop the city roads into a world class one, Mr Duraisamy said that the civic body has joined hands with the Chennai City Connect, an NGO to upgrade 60 city roads.

“The city connect has designed sketches for better utilisation of space and aesthetic improvement of structures in 38 roads,” he said, adding that the civic body has also given consent for private sponsorship in maintenance and beautification of those roads.

Chennai roads not enough for vehicles

‘When there is no space on the roads for vehicles, how could we accommodate the pedestrians?’ This has been the attitude of several officials, which has fortunately changed now after the AIADMK government assumed power, said Mr Raj Cherubal of City-Connect.

Authorities must devise ways to show priority to the pedestrians like it’s done in most other countries, he said at the inaugural of the second chapter of Green Chronicle, ‘Paving Chennai’ at AU on Sunday.

Mr Cherubal, an architect-activist engaged in several pro-people projects of the Chennai Corporation, said the public perception was that the government machinery would not show the same interest in implementing the schemes announced with great aplomb.

“But this has changed now. I am absolutely having fun as I have been working with the Corporation and the highways on many schemes. I never thought I would ever feel like this and I am saying this on behalf of all architects in the city.”

On footpaths, Mr Cherubal said the pedestrians should be given priority as in developed countries like the US and Singapore. Pedestrians should be given priority as in developed countries like the U.S. and Singapore Pedestrian safety is very important. Our parents and our children could be among those exposed to danger walking on the roads because there are no pavement.