Encroachments on pavements are not just pushing pedestrians to the main carriageway, but are also exposing them to the risks of coming into very close contact with speeding vehicles on Mudichur Road connecting Tambaram and Mannivakkam.
Residents now complain that in addition to this, the ‘end-to-end’ paving of road by the State Highways Department without any provision for pavements is adding to their problems. Residents pointed out that the Highways Department black topped the road between Kannan Nagar and Tambaram Tank on one side of the road without even an inch of space for pedestrians.
A resident of Balakrishna Nagar, M.Sairam, said storm water drains were usurped by shopkeepers for displaying their goods. Leelavathi Madhiazhagan, a school teacher said helpless pedestrians had to squeeze their way through buses, cars and two-wheelers and have to be extremely cautious while getting past shops on this stretch.
“The bank where I have an account is not very far from my home, but it is such a nightmare crossing this stretch. The SWDs (pavements) are too narrow. At time, people are forced to hire an auto-rickshaw to travel short distances,” said S. Kamala, a pensioner living in the CTO Colony for over two decades. “If pavements are better designed, pedestrians, especially elders can work without a fear,” she said.
“The Highways Department has not solved the problem of lack of pavements,” said P. Damodaran, Mudichur Village Panchayat president. Road-paving work is pending between outer ring road intersection and Kannan Nagar junction on Mudichur road and motorists struggled everyday, he said. Sources with Highways department said they re-paved the road wherever it was damaged and the remaining work would be taken up after the elections are over.
