Who stole my pavement? Civic works deny space for pedestrians at Pondy Bazaar

Thyagaraya Street in T Nagar is a bustling road with a shopping hub in Pondy Bazaar. Every day, the road sees thousands of visitors to its many shops. Thyagaraya Road is also an arterial road that links T Nagar to other areas. The road sees traffic at most times of the day.

Pedestrian facilities, particularly in Pondy Bazaar, have been poor. The area was home to many street vendors who lined the pavements and had their wares on display. The pedestrians who came to shop from the street vendors or the permanent shops on the road had to navigate their way around a crowded pavement that was almost blocked completely by the shops. During the festive season, crowds jostled for the much-needed space in the area as the pavements are only partially usable. The pedestrians were then forced to use the road, in dangerous conditions.

This was mitigated by a move to shift all the street vendors to a shopping complex built by the Chennai Corporation. The shopping complex now houses all the vendors who had previously set up shop on the footpath in Pondy Bazaar. This renewed hope that the pedestrians could now reclaim the pavement for their use.

Despite suffering from issues such as uneven tiles, lack of access for people with disabilities and street furniture placed at inconvenient spots, the primary issue of encroachments had been dealt with in a manner that was agreeable to all stakeholders. But the positive step did not provide lasting relief.

T Nagar was chosen as one of the hubs for the city’s smart city projects. Works are scheduled for storm water drain linkage, better lighting and for three new pedestrian plazas, one of which is to cover Thyagaraya Road. The pedestrian plaza work has made the Pondy Bazaar section completely devoid of any space for pedestrians.

The work has resulted in existing pavements being unusable. In the sections where the work is complete, the relaying of the flooring has been shoddy, creating unsafe conditions for pedestrians. “It has become impossible to come to the shops here anymore. The pavement has been removed and the access is so uneven, it is a hazard for anyone, especially the elderly. I do not know for how long this will go on,” said Lakshmanan, a shopper.

There is dumping of debris and slabs from the ongoing work. This has cut off access to pedestrians who are in real danger of sustaining injuries from tripping or knocking themselves against the dumped debris. Since the work covers the section comprising the pavement and the parking area, two-wheelers in front of shops are now a common sight. With nowhere else to park, as the multi-level parking project on the same road has been delayed for years, the patrons of shops, owners and employees have been forced to park on the pavement, hindering the pedestrians.

“The work here has been going on for a few months and I do not know when there will be new facilities for pedestrians. As of now, all that has happened is that it is difficult to get to the shops. This has definitely affected my business, too,” said Thangaraj, a shop owner in Pondy Bazaar.

While infrastructure projects take time to be completed, the manner in which they are carried out must be so that it caused the least inconvenience to the general public. Pedestrian plaza will help those visiting T Nagar navigate the shopping hub safely, but until such a time that it materialises, pedestrians are forced into a dangerous situation to use the road.