Development

 of  Pedestrian  Plaza  in  Pondy  Bazaar  

 
94%  support  project,  finds  survey;  shopkeepers  fear  dip  in  business  
 
Over  94%  of  shoppers  in  T.  Nagar  support  the  project  to  develop  a  pedestrian  
plaza  on  Thyagaraya  Road,  according  to  a  survey  conducted  over  Pongal.  
 
The  survey  was  carried  out  by  ITDP  India  Programme  in  collaboration  with  RVS  
School  of  Architecture  in  a  bid  to  understand  the  actual  needs  of  shoppers  in  T.  
Nagar.  
 
ITDP  senior  programme  manager  Aswathy  Dilip  said  the  results  show  that  only  
25%  of  shoppers  visiting  Pondy  Bazaar  park  their  vehicles  on  Thyagaraya  Road,  
where  work  on  the  pedestrian  plaza  is  under  way.  
 
Parking  of  vehicles  
 
“These  vehicles  can  be  
accommodated  in  500  
parking  slots  on  the  side  
streets.  While  the  city  is  
eagerly  anticipating  the  plaza,  
local  shopkeepers  are  
concerned  that  the  removal  
of  cars  and  parking  from  
Thyagaraya  Road  might  affect  
their  sales,"  she  said.  
 
To  understand  the  ground  
reality  and  come  up  with  
possible  solutions  to  address  
the  concerns  of  shopkeepers,  
ITDP  India  Programme  conducted  the  survey.  Nashwa  Naushad,  one  of  the  
coordinators  of  the  survey,  said  22%  of  respondents  were  unable  to  access  
Pondy  Bazar  because  of  encroachments  and  haphazard  parking  on  the  side  
streets.  
 
However,  over  78%  of  the  shoppers  had  unhindered  access  to  market  from  the  
side  streets.  
 
“The  shoppers  are  eagerly  looking  forward  to  the  vibrant  pedestrian  plaza,  
expressing  their  preference  for  an  unhindered  shopping  space  over  cars,”  she  
said.  
 
Big  on  public  transport  
 
According  to  the  study,  51.9%  people  use  public  transport  to  reach  Pondy  
Bazaar.  Officials  said  this  number  is  expected  to  increase  after  completion  of  the  
project.  
  
Currently,  48.1  %  of  people  use  cars  and  motorcycles  to  reach  Pondy  Bazar;  
52%  of  such  commuters  park  their  vehicles  on  the  side  streets.  “The  side  streets  
have  500  parking  slots.  These  are  underutilised.  A  multi-­‐level  parking  lot  will  
also  be  coming  up,”  said  an  official.  On  completion  of  the  pedestrian  plaza,  there  
will  be  no  parking  space  on  Thyagaraya  Road.  
 

 
 
An  old  corporation  building  on  
Sivagnanam  Street  was  
demolished  to  set  up  a  temporary  
parking  space  on  700sqm.  Deputy  
commissioner  (works)  M  Govinda  
Rao  said  after  the  pedestrian  plaza  
is  completed  the  corporation  
would  revamp  North  Usman  Road,  
GN  Chetty  Road  and  
Venkatnarayana  Road.    
 
Lakshmi  Narayanan,  administrator  
of  the  T  Nagar  Shop  Owners  
Association,  said  parking  was  
definitely  a  concern.  “We  have  
been  told  that  parking  will  be  
allowed  on  one  side  and  that  the  
area  would  be  converted  into  an  
open-­‐air  mall  with  various  
amenities  and  facilities.  But  wider  
footpaths  mean  more  space  for  
hawkers.  So  maintenance  of  these  
facilities  and  amenities  developed  
is  an  issue  we  have  raised,”  he  said.