To its disappointment, the Greater Chennai Corporation has found that patronage of the wide footpaths it had created on arterial roads do not draw pedestrians in as great numbers as they should.
In a sample study conducted by a private consultancy firm for the civic body on three important roads — Police Commissioner’s Office Road and Pantheon Road in Egmore and Harrington Road in Chetpet — pedestrian usage is said to be unsatisfactory.
A senior official of the Chennai Corporation said the study had found that, on an average, around 400 to 500 persons were using these widened footpaths, which was not an impressive figure.
The footpaths were reclaimed by shifting transformers and pillar boxes and installing bollards to prevent parking of vehicles. The civic body had developed footpaths on 26 arterial roads including NSC Bose Road, Ibrahim Salai in Broadway, West Avenue in Thiruvanmiyur and Besant Nagar 2nd Avenue.
A combination of factors, including encroachment by hawkers, parking of vehicles, and display boards of commercial shops occupying the stretch, have been cited for the reclaimed footpaths remaining unused.
The Chennai Corporation had developed these footpaths with a minimum width of five feet and a maximum width of 10 feet.
The Indian Road Congress has specified that the width of a footpath should be seven feet.
Pointing out the popularity of 4th Avenue becoming a commercial area and attracting a large number of shoppers, R. Harish, a resident of Shanti Colony in Anna Nagar, complained that the whole idea of re-developing footpaths had met with little success due to encroachments by commercial establishments. In several places, the bollards fixed to prevent parking of vehicles had been damaged, he added.
A senior official said that based on feedback received from the public, the civic body had worked out a plan to employ private tow vehicles to impound vehicles parked on such footpaths. He said seven roads had been identified for employing private tow vehicles. The measure to be adopted on a pilot basis would impound any vehicles parked on such developed footpaths and would be lodged at the police station. The official said as per the Motor Vehicles Act only the Traffic Police had the power to fine such unauthorised parking.
Also, in the future, the civic body would only develop footpaths with the specified length of two metres.
The Chennai Corporation had developed footpaths on 26 roads in the first phase, 20 roads planned in second phase and 48 roads in third phase.
