Ever buzzing St Mary’s Road unsafe for pedestrians

St Mary’s Road is usually buzzing with pedestrians and motorists round-the-clock. Vehicles from a section of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Road are 

diverted through the St Mary’s Road. 

This makes it difficult for the pedestrians to make their way and they find it hard to navigate through the TTK Road-St Mary’s Road junction during the day as there is no footpath to walk safely. Battered pavements which are mostly occupied by the furniture shops on the streets and the dustbins add on to their woes. People claim that with establishments like play school in the area better facilities for pedestrians are needed. 

As we head to Mandaveli area, the encroachments on pavements however increase. Cars and auto rickshaws that are parked on the pavement eat up the space and force pedestrians to walk on the road. Small shops, eateries and construction labourers too use the footpath to erect their outlet and to dump construction materials. 

Rani, who owns an eatery on the road says that her business is hit only because drivers of a few cars park the vehicle right in front of the shop. “The road is narrow and people who walk on the road literally make their way through the vehicles that ply on the road,”

A resident from the adjacent road — Ram Subramani claims that the road is unsafe for pedestrians. “The ongoing construction work on the road makes it unsafe for people to walk. The share auto, buses and two wheeler riders speed away on this road.”

Meanwhile, the shops use the footpath for advertisement and parking. This ultimately affect the pedestrians. “A footpath that is accessible should be laid on the road as the ones that exist are used for other psurposes but for the people to walk,” said a source.

—If you have been robbed of your pavement, write to us.