Pavements along many roads in the city are no more user-friendly. They are either encroached upon by vendors or used as parking space for two-wheelers by shopkeepers, forcing shoppers on commercial streets to use the middle of the road. In most places, pedestrians jostle for space as carriage space has shrunk on both sides of the roads.
With a steep rise in number of vehicles, there is congestion everywhere. Earlier, only the streets around Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple get choked. But, today, free mobility has become a thing of the past, particularly on important intersections such as Goripalayam, Kalavasal, Apollo Hospital junction and Periyar bus stand. The roadside shopkeepers start encroaching the pavement in a small way which would not be seen as a violation and goes unnoticed by officials. When customers get used to the shops and their services, the encroachments start expanding. The shopkeepers approach the elected representatives — councillors and MLAs — or their confidants to keep the encroachments cosy and intact.
Next, the shopkeepers install a semi-permanent shop which gives an impression that the outlet has the ‘approval’ of the authorities concerned. From then on, the space meant for pedestrians start vanishing.
A roadside vendor, who started business in a small way, attracts hordes of customers now at his encroached space at the Kalavasal junction.
Broad pavements house fruit shops and tiffin centres along New Natham Road and V.P. Rathinasamy Road, and at Athikulam, Iyer Bungalow, Kalavasal, Arapalayam bus stand and Mattuthavani.
A concerted clean-up act by various agencies, with direct supervision of top officials in the administration and non-interference by elected representatives, may restore the footpaths of Madurai to the pedestrians.
