CHENNAI: If the city corporation has its way, walking in the city will soon become easier than finding a parking space for one's car. Chennai corporation has now adopted a non-motorised transport (NMT) policy, which is focusing on promoting public transport and pedestrian safety.
According to the policy, the corporation will give least priority to parking space allocation while designing roads so that people are encouraged to use public transport. Parking spaces would be compromised for laying pavements, setting up bus stands, constructing cycle tracks and providing public amenities such as street furniture, landscaping and trees.
The highest priority while designing a road will be given to pedestrian access, followed by non-motorised vehicles and goods carriers, public transport, private motor vehicle movement, and finally, private motor vehicle parking, resulting in shrunken parking zones.
The emphasis on non-motorised transport will promote walking, cycling, cyclerickshaws, pushcarts, and other forms of mobility that are powered by humans. Apart from this, the policy note also states that the civic body would play down grade separators, like pedestrian subways and foot overbridges that often lead pedestrians to take a detour.
"CoC will not construct flyovers, elevated roads and other infrastructure that prevents parallel pedestrian infrastructure from meeting the standards in the NMT policy," the policy states. The long-standing problem of street vendors encroaching upon pavements will also see a respite as the corporation will recognise their role in street management by providing dedicated vending zones, particularly in areas close to the rapid transit stations.
Prohibiting pedestrian culdesacs, reducing pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, ensuring footpaths for at least 80 per cent of streets, increasing cycle track coverage in the city, increasing public transport mode share to at least 60 per cent of motorised trips, are also some of the features of this proposal.
