Tripunithura has little space for those who walk its streets. The town’s footpaths are narrow, crowded, encroached upon and, along most stretches, a no-go place for pedestrians.
A stroll from the Statue Junction to Poornathrayeesa Temple, a distance of about 400 metres, is enough to discover the extent of the problem in a town marked by heavy traffic as it is the eastern entry and exit point for the Kochi urban area.
The footpaths on the northern side of the road are inaccessible at most points with make-shift shops, arches welcoming shoppers to festival sales and parking of vehicles. The southern side of the road, where the footpath is narrower, too poses the same problem for pedestrians. Water logging too makes things difficult for pedestrians as was seen at the western end of the road, where access to footpath is almost impossible on the north side.
Things are made more difficult with the road being extremely narrow and which sees heavy traffic of passenger buses because traffic coming from Ernakulam and going to the east use the route as they exit the bus stand.
Footpaths on the west end of the road on both sides are damaged badly and a careless step can land a pedestrian in serious trouble. Another serious issue for pedestrians in the town is the low-hanging advertisement boards that obstruct visibility and pose a threat of physical injury. The advertisement boards, mostly flex, are hung or placed about the height of five to six feet. Most pedestrians prefer to step down from the footpath to avoid a collision with these advertisement boards.
