No respite from illegal parking of vehicles on Nehru street footpaths in Puducherry

Footpaths in Puducherry's Boulevard are overrun by two-wheelers and shops, hindering pedestrian movement despite government efforts.

A stroll through the arterial Jawaharlal Nehru Street in the Boulevard will give the impression that the footpaths are mainly reserved for two-wheelers and shops and commercial establishments, with little or no space for pedestrians.

Footpaths on the J.N. Street and several arterial roads have been converted into illegal parking spots for two-wheelers and for shops and commercial establishments to stock their goods. The footpaths with no protective railing continue to be misused by motorists due to poor enforcement by the Police and the authorities concerned.

While crores of rupees are being spent by the Puducherry government under the Smart Cities Mission to provide the city’s residents a pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, walking on footpaths continues to be a challenge on several roads in the Boulevard.

According to an official, “A meagre 10 % of the roads have footpaths in Puducherry. Of them over 84 % has been heavily encroached. Though assurances are made by line departments from time to time to remove encroachments on footpaths at the meeting of the Puducherry Road Safety Council, no remedial measures have been taken up so far. Like roads are for motorists, footpaths are for pedestrians. However, the extension of shops and commercial establishments onto the footpaths and parking of vehicles force pedestrians to walk on the roads, making them vulnerable.”

Though the Puducherry Traffic police introduced one-side parking on J.N. Street on a rotation basis, there seems to be no solution in sight to parking of vehicles on the footpaths.

“The arterial road remains chaotic especially during peak hours due to haphazardly installed road signages, vehicles parked on footpaths and encroachment by hawkers. However, pedestrians cannot be blamed for walking on the road, as there is no space on the pavements. If the footpaths are for parking of two-wheelers where would the pedestrians walk,” asked Vivekanandan, an employee of a private company.

According to S. Nadarajan, a resident, “The J.N. Street witnesses highest traffic volume and the situation gets only worse during festivals as there is hardly any space for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The widening of the street in 1970s by the then Lt. Governor Chhedi Lal was an effective step and the rise in the number of vehicles has led to traffic breaking at the seams.”