Walking along the Tarapeta stretch abutting the railway station is indeed a challenge. Absence of a pavement and heavy traffic make things tough for pedestrians, especially those walking from the railway station.
“Pedestrians getting hit by vehicles from behind and minor accidents are a regular feature on the stretch. Despite several representations, municipal authorities have not bothered to address the issue,” says Krishna Rao, a shopkeeper. Locals have been demanding that the traffic police deploy more personnel on the stretch for better monitoring.
The locality is popular for commercial establishments. People from far-off places throng the locality everyday, not to mention devotees who prefer the stretch to reach the Kanaka Durga temple.
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Making matters worse, there are not many pavements for the convenience of pedestrians.
Those few constructed (up to Gandhi Hill) are either occupied by beggars or characterised by unhygienic conditions.
There can be some respite for pedestrians, if pavements are laid from platform 10 at the railway to the bus terminal, suggests Rama Mohan, a passenger.
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Meanwhile, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation officials say the construction of pavements is the responsibility of the South Central Railway.
“Citing pedestrians’ inconvenience, requisitions have been made to SCR officials for constructing pavements all along the railway compound, as the property belongs to the railways,” says a senior official from the VMC engineering section.