CHENNAI: Well-planned seating for shoppers, extensive green cover, entertainment pockets, swanky pavements, and walls with vibrant murals — the Pedestrian Plaza at Chennai’s Pondy Bazaar is a sight to behold.
Opened in November 2019, it was built under the Smart Cities Mission at a cost of Rs 39.8 crore and was welcomed by shoppers thronging the bazaar and businesses lining the street. Be that as it may, the deluge of traffic that ensued the opening of the plaza was too much for the nearby streets and their pedestrians.
According to the new traffic diversions, vehicles plying towards Anna Salai from Panagal Park have to take a detour and go through Prakasam Salai, GN Chetty Road, and further towards Dr Nair Road to reach Theyagaraya Road. Similarly, vehicles moving towards Panagal Park from Anna Salai have to go through Thanikachalam Road and Venkatanarayana Road. These vehicular traffic has nearly choked the interior roads around the bazaar.
Radhakrishnan, a long-time resident of Gopalakrishna Street, said: “Before the Pedestrian Plaza was inaugurated, hardly 50 vehicles passed through our area. That number has now multiplied. And we now have vehicles speeding on our roads throughout the day; pedestrians, especially senior citizens, are finding it difficult to walk on the road.” It’s ironical that a dedicated facility for pedestrians is affecting the very pedestrians around the area, he added.
Further, the residents complain that share autorickshaws in the area have increased considerably after the traffic diversions were implemented. Their use of the bylanes further narrowed the interior roads, which had already lost a chunk of their width to two-wheelers and cars parked on either sides. Another major issue is the lack of a public washroom along the entire stretch.
“There used to be a washroom near Aavin, but ever since the construction of the plaza began, it is shut. There is another washroom inside the ‘Platform Shop Owners Business Complex’, but the hawkers from outside are not allowed to use it, and it often remains locked,” said Valli, one of the vendors at Pondy Bazaar.
About 50 police personnel, including at least 15 women, patrol the plaza during 2-9 pm every day. They are also forced to use the restrooms at the restaurants or fuel bunks. “How is it a smart city if it does not even have toilets? The purpose of the plaza was to promote community gatherings and enable a hassle-free walk for the pedestrians. But we have to go around asking shopkeepers if we can use their restrooms,” said V Jayaraman, president, T Nagar Welfare Residents Association.
The Panagal Park public washroom, too, located about a kilometre away is in a pathetic condition. When contacted, an official from the city corporation said it’s the haphazard parking that clogs the bylanes and added that it was the collective responsibility of people to maintain it. He, however, said they would look into the state of washrooms.
Rs 39.8 crore
worth Pedestrian Plaza at Chennai’s Pondy Bazaar was opened in November 2019, built under the Smart Cities Mission. It was welcomed by shoppers and businesses lining the street
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