The makeover of one of the most happening commercial spaces in our city, Khader Nawaz Khan Road with the creation of a pedestrian plaza is complete. The project, which was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister earlier this month was undertaken under the Complete Streets programme and is the second of its kind, following the T Nagar plaza which was inaugurated in 2019. While the excitement is palpable amongst the many businesses that dot the area that this would attract more footfalls, not everyone shares the enthusiasm, as is evidenced by the troubles faced by residents in the vicinity.
As has been mentioned in these columns on the subject earlier (MM Oct 16-31, 2023), that a well-designed and maintained pedestrian plaza can boost the local economy and also act as an incentive for community building is undeniable. However, given the general civic apathy and the tendency to treat public infrastructure of all kinds as private property, this is easier said than done. There were reports of shopkeepers converting the pedestrian space into private parking lots even before the plaza was made fully functional. Of course, it has to be mentioned that this is a phenomenon that is rampant all over the city and not unique to the space. On the topic of parking space itself, already there are complaints of it being grossly inadequate to handle the volume of traffic, with the stretch itself allowing only for dropping points. A resident this writer spoke to states that there were requests made to reduce the pavement size and allow one side for parking, which was not addressed. The civic body has promised a smart parking plan and a survey to identify spaces that could be used for parking in the vicinity. It is also worthy of mention that a multi-level parking for the neighborhood, announced in 2024 has not yet taken off.
The stretch has been made one-way, with vehicular traffic being allowed only towards Uthamar Gandhi Salai. It can be said with reasonable certainty that no stretch is truly treated as one-way in our city, as one can witness violations every single day in one part or the other. However, it becomes even more essential that one-way arrangement is strictly enforced in this stretch, where the carriageway has been reduced to allow for the wide pavement space. This one-way arrangement has meant a spillover of traffic on to the surrounding streets, throwing life out of gear for their residents. Complaints of haphazard parking outside residences, sometimes locking the inhabitants out of their own homes, not to mention the constant honking, has led to disruption of peace in the neighbourhood. Adding to the chaos is the fact that the makeover of the stretch is attracting crowds (read Insta reel makers) well unto the late hours of day, with some eateries being open even past midnight.
In a city where facilities for pedestrians are well, mostly pedestrian, dedicated spaces such as these are a worthy attempt at providing the public a comfortable experience, though they cannot obviate the need for an urgent overhaul of our pedestrian infrastructure. It is however essential that there is a comprehensive plan and strict implementation in place to ensure the real purpose behind it is not lost. We learn that tenders for operating around 10 kiosks are likely to be called for eateries and other wares. Without effective monitoring and enforcement in place, it is only a matter of time before the wide pavements attract unauthorized road-side establishments, as has been evidenced by the T Nagar plaza experience. It is also imperative that there is a constant feedback mechanism for all the stakeholders, especially the residents (many of whom have been around even before the stretch transformed into its current avatar) so that their concerns are effectively addressed.