Vending spaces earmarked on Besant Nagar Second Avenue

On this road known for wide pavements, Greater Chennai Corporation has started an exercise to mark and allocate spaces for roadside vendors and also ensure pedestrians have enough walking area

Ideally, the space by the side of the carriageway — pavement — should be a peacefully shared inheritance, but invariably is not.

Pedestrians breaking stride and sidestepping a sprawling pavement shop is common sight. And then calling time on this violation, the Corporation would swoop down on these shops, dismantle them, only for pedestrians to see them make a comeback to the same spot. The old tension between the two stakeholders would resume all over again. In what seems to be an effort at breaking this vicious cycle, Greater Chennai Corporation has started an exercise on Besant Nagar Second Avenue.

The intention is loud and clear: demarcating the boundaries for pavement shops (thereby legalising them) and pedestrians. The spaces earmarked for shops have been painted and marked with plastic cones nailed into the pavement.

In front of each earmarked space, the shop number is indicated in paint. This exercise is restricted to the pavement on one side. A shopkeeper remarks that the pavement shops on the other side would be shifted to this side. Besant Nagar Second Avenue is known for its wide pavements and also for being a segment in the Health Walk track.

Published - November 16, 2024 10:29 pm IST