Shanmugam Road will be closed to traffic for a few hours on May 1 to literally make way for non-motorised transport (NMT) users like pedestrians and cyclists, as the city launches the ‘Happy Streets’ programme.
The programme, on the lines of one called ‘Raahgiri’, a regular event in more than 15 Indian cities, is being organised by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) in cooperation with the Ernakulam district administration, City Traffic Police, Greater Cochin Development Authority, Kochi Biennale Foundation and other organisations, says a KMRL release.
Shanmugam Road will be closed to motorised traffic from 6.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. on Sunday. People will have an opportunity to “reclaim the streets” as it were. The road will be closed from both the sides, and users may take part in different kinds of activities — walking, sports, cycling, fitness, culture and community-building, or may simply enjoy the space. “Less aggressive traffic means a better quality of life” is the initiative’s message for the city.
Major Indian cities such as Delhi, Gurgaon, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Bhubaneswar now conduct this programme regularly. The programme can be scaled depending on the size of the city in question and number of the participants and sponsors involved. In Gurgaon, more than a million people have taken part in the event after it was launched two and a half years ago, the release says.
‘Raahgiri’ helps increase the number of bicycles on the roads. Many people started walking or cycling on a regular basis after the event was conducted in different cities. It helps local businesses too, the release claims.
EMBARQ, an NGO associated with the World Resources Institute, a global research organisation, is providing technical information and assistance for planning the ‘Happy Streets’ day in Kochi, as it has been doing in other cities.
