Walking path along Commercial Road to make Ooty town more accessible to pedestrians

Nilgiris District Collector inspects pedestrian path in Udhagamandalam town to improve safety and accessibility for walkers.

To make Udhagamandalam town more accessible to pedestrians, the Nilgiris District Collector, Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, inspected a 400m walking path between Charring Cross and Casino Junction along the Commercial Road on September 5, 2024 (Thursday) evening.

The initiative, which is being trialled by the Nilgiris district administration with the assistance of the police, hopes to make Udhagamandalam town more walker-friendly, as the stretch used to be extremely crowded due to the parking of cars and two-wheelers from patrons of businesses located along Commercial Road.

Speaking to reporters after undertaking an inspection of the stretch along with Nilgiris district Superintendent of Police, N.S. Nisha, Ms. Tanneeru told reporters here that the district attracted scores of domestic as well as international tourists, with the stretch between Charring Cross and Casino Junction, being extremely busy and often times, being swarmed by tourists and local residents.

Usually, cars belonging to tourists and local residents are parked by the side of the road, limiting road space and often endangering the safety of walkers. Due to the initiative, walkers will have the chance to enjoy a much safer and enjoyable shopping experience, police officials also hoped.

Ms. Tanneeru also said that by attracting more pedestrians, local businesses would also stand to benefit financially. One local business owner said that he welcomed the initiative, stating that many potential patrons are turned away from the shops located along the stretch due to a lack of parking space. “Due to the road becoming extremely narrow due to cars being parked on one side, most people who would otherwise have liked to explore the stretch on foot, often avoid it completely. The initiative could be made more efficient by ensuring adequate parking for vehicles in the areas surrounding Commercial Road,” he added.

The Collector added that the district administration would take onboard feedback from local business owners on the initiative after the trial phase is over, to decide on whether the walking path can be retained.