UT Matters | Pedestrians jostle for space due to shrinking footpaths

In places like Jawaharlal Nehru Street and Mahatma Gandhi Road, the existing pavements had been rendered useless, in several others there are no footpaths to begin with.

Footpaths across the coastal town, particularly in important thoroughfares, have shrunk in width over the years thanks to rampant encroachments by shops and business establishments leaving pedestrians jostling for space with street vendors, cars and two-wheelers on the roads. A visit to several important thoroughfares brought to fore the utter chaos and bewildering scenario with pedestrians having no opportunity to complain due to lack of action by authorities concerned while the traders on the other hand exercise absolute freedom to go ahead with their activities like dumping their wares or diesel generators or mobile advertisement boards on the pavements leaving no space for pedestrians. While in some places like Jawaharlal Nehru Street and Mahatma Gandhi Road, the existing pavements had been rendered useless, in several others there are no footpaths to begin with.