The government doesn't think pedestrians are important: V. Ravichandar

“Make Church Street traffic-free and it will displace Brigade Road as the premier shopping hub, says urban evangelist V. Ravichandar. He talks to Darshana Ramdev about the merits of pedestrian-friendly areas and why a 20-year-long campaign has always hit a wall.

Barricades stand at both ends of Church Street, where they will remain for the next six months to keep out traffic as the TenderSure project kicks off. Only pedestrians make their way up and down the stretch, feeling a world of difference without the constant blare of vehicles pouring in from Brigade Road.

With cobbled streets and wide pavements, which Ravichandar calls a "very progressive move," the time is more conducive now than ever before to declare Church Street a traffic-free zone.

"We have been advocating this for the last two decades, meeting with resistance every step of the way," he said. Traders, who are afraid that banning traffic will affect their customers, remain firmly opposed to the idea.

"This is a misconception,” Ravichandar says firmly. "Hubs like Commercial Street and Brigade Road compete with malls, which are closed spaces too, he pointed out. "Common sense tells you that pedestrian zones work in favour of business!"

That's not as big a challenge as the government, which requires a "change in mindset," said Ravichandar, who was part of the team that pushed for footpaths on Lavelle Road.

"The footpath they agreed to was less than five feet. If a bout three metres is allotted to each lane, it will still leave us with about eight feet for a for a pavement, which they don't think necessary. Unfortunately, the government doesn't believe that pedestrians are important."

Traffic flow on Church Street, he continued, serves no purpose, unlike Brigade Road, where it is essential. “Make it a pedestrian-only zone and Church Street will, Ravichandar believes, "displace Brigade Road as the premier shopping centre."

And it can be done - Cubbon Park, for instance, is not open to traffic on Sundays. "We need proof of concept. If Church Street is made a pedestrian-only zone on weekends, it will give us the courage to experiment in other places as well!"