Pedestrians feel unwelcome on pavements

On a section of Konnur High Road, they walk alongside speeding motorcylists, quips D. Madhavan.

Tell tale images from K.H. Road, Ayanavaram. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

The footpath on either side of Konnur High Road, between Otteri and Ayanavaram junction, is a workshop for mechanics. On this section of the road, tea stalls and hawkers have also encroached upon the footpath. There are also homeless people living there. Only pedestrians feel unwelcome on these footpaths. They walk in the middle of the road, sharing space with motorcylists. “The median and the footpath take away most of the space, leaving the stretch narrow. This creates traffic chaos during rush hour,” says S. Prabhakaran, a resident of Ayanavaram. “Residents from as far as Thirumullavoyal use the stretch to reach Anna Salai via Kilpauk as traffic is lesser here than on PH Road,” said a traffic police officer. Konnur High Road is a crucial link between northwest, west and northern areas including Perambur, Kellys, Purasawalkam, Vepery, Royapuram and Tiruvottiyur. Many from Red Hills, Puzhal, Ambattur, Padi, Mannurvet, ICF, Villivakkam, Anna Nagar, Koyembedu and Maduravoyal use the stretch to reach the northern areas of the city and also to reach Anna Salai, Kamaraj Salai and Broadway. This stretch is generally preferred as it is comparatively less congested and is not a one-way. Residents say hawkers keep returning, even within a few hours after any eviction drive carried out by the Chennai Corporation. “It would be better if residents’ welfare associations in the locality monitored these pavements and informed the civic body whenever any encroachment came up on it,” said a Corporation official.