Shop owners take over Pedestrian Plaza; Police, GCC turn a blind eye
Chennai: Touted and unveiled as a show-piece 'smart' civic amenity, the 40-crore Pedestrian Plaza in T Nagar is now a chaotic free-for-all zone. Shop owners, in collusion with traffic police and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) personnel, have taken over the concrete pavements and installed makeshift stands to display their wares.
The remaining space is occupied by their vehicles, throughout the day.
When contacted, assistant engineer of ward 133, Anand, said the civic body had written to R1 and R4 police stations seeking support for towing the illegally parked vehicles. "They have agreed to provide support by Wednesday," he said.
A police station located just a stone's throw away from the stretch has turned a blind eye to the encroachments. However, West Mambalam traffic enforcement wing inspector Sai Shameema said, "We are evacuating the vehicles parked illegally on Pedestrian Plaza, as and when we receive any specific complaints or during patrolling."
But the officials are silent about the chaos on the pavement. Shop owners are the biggest culprits, as they occupy much of the paved walkway and then engage men to canvass among the pedestrians. The street furniture placed on the walkway has been flicked by shops according to their convenience.
Push carts, semi-permanent structures selling eatables, construction materials, broken granites and open pits make it hazardous for young and old.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Fastest Selling Plots of Mysore from 40L | 40+ Amenities
PurpleBrick
Learn More
Undo
It is dirty, noisy. Two-wheelers routinely mount the 15-metre-wide plaza, ride through it, and park haphazardly, reducing pedestrian space to barely three-four metres. The bollards that were meant to block vehicle entry were knocked over in several spots.
Inaugurated in 2019 by GCC, the 700-metre stretch (1.4 km both ways) originally promised a seamless, vehicle-free walking experience. Today, it's anything but that.
"There's a multi-level parking facility that can hold 100 cars and 200 bikes, but it has less than 10% occupancy every day. Neither police nor the GCC books people who park on the road. If they take action, people will start using the Multi-Level Parking (MLP) facility," said R Avinash, a resident. He added that cops must ban on-street parking on the entire stretch.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Eid wishes
,
messages
, and
quotes
!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
New petrol, diesel cabs to be banned in Delhi-NCR from this date: Details
Petrol, diesel cabs to be banned in Delhi-NCR. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has announced that from January 1, 2026, no new petrol or diesel vehicles will be allowed to join the fleets of cab aggregators, delivery companies, and e-commerce firms operating in Delhi-NCR. The directive is applicable to light commercial vehicles, goods carriers, and two-wheelers used for deliveries. The CAQM stated that commercial vehicles significantly contribute to air pollution in the region due to their extended usage hours and poor maintenance. In comparison to privately owned vehicles, these fleet-operated units emit higher levels of pollutants. To counter this, the commission has mandated a transition to cleaner alternatives: electric or CNG-powered vehicles for any new additions to these commercial fleets. MG Windsor Pro EV Review: More Range, Tech, Safety | TOI Auto This move comes alongside the Delhi government's Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme, 2023, which aims to regulate aggregators and delivery firms operating fleets of more than 25 vehicles. Under this scheme, such companies must register their vehicles on a government-monitored portal for oversight and compliance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo In addition to Delhi, the CAQM has urged neighbouring states: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan - to implement similar measures, particularly in urban centres with high vehicle density such as Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. The initiative is part of a broader effort to bring down pollution levels and promote a shift to zero-emission transport systems in the National Capital Region. (Inputs from PTI). Stay tuned to TOI Auto for latest updates on the automotive sector and do follow us on our social media handles on Facebook, Instagram and X. Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India .
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Musk vs Trump: Is Musk taking a step closer to mending broken relationship with Trump? Here is a full list of tweets deleted by Tesla CEO after feud
US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk Is Musk taking a step closer to ending the feud with Trump because Tesla CEO's latest move seems to be hinting in that direction? James Fishback, principal architect of the "DOGE checks" initiative, who had called out Musk for his tweets against Donald Trump , hailed Tesla CEO after he deleted all the posts against the US President. He pointed out Musk's deleted posts and said that now to take another step and apologies to President Trump. "Elon has deleted his slanderous tweets about the President of the United States. Good first step. Next up: full-throated apology to Trump and his family," he said. It all started with Fishback, replying to Musk's tweet over think about making another party" American party. "Elon, Keep tweeting about your 'new political party' and Japanese fertility rates all you want. You owe President Trump a full-throated apology, and every hour you delay, it'll make an eventual apology less sincere. You can substantively disagree with the President on policy, but you should not have baselessly and personally attacked him. " Fishback said. Responding to Fishback, Musk posted several tweets but after a short brief, those tweets were deleted from the account. His response to some tweets are still existing but the riginal tweets has been deleted. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo Not only those but all his previous tweets, targeting the president, has been deleted including the Epstein files. It seems that Musk may be seeing different ways to mends and go back from their broken ties. The political rift became public earlier this week when Musk slammed one of Trump's most touted legislative efforts, referred to by the president as his 'big, beautiful bill', calling it a 'disgusting abomination.' The remark surprised Republican leaders and got a rare serious reaction from President Trump. 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore,' Trump said from the Oval Office. He didn't stop there. Taking direct aim at Musk's businesses, the president said: 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.' Musk, in return, accused Trump of 'ingratitude' and escalated the standoff by reposting claims, without evidence, suggesting Trump's name appeared in government documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
‘No longer any question..': Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping has agreed to let rare earth minerals flow to US; sign of thawing tensions
China has issued temporary export permits to rare-earth suppliers serving the three largest US automobile manufacturers. (AI image) Are the US and China finally moving towards some trade agreement? Chinese President Xi Jinping has consented to permit the export of rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States, according to US President Donald Trump 's statement on Friday. This decision could potentially ease tensions between the two largest global economies. When questioned by a reporter on Air Force One about Xi's agreement, Trump confirmed: "Yes, he did." According to a Reuters report, this development follows a rare telephone conversation between Trump and Xi the previous day, which addressed ongoing trade disagreements regarding this subject. Trump indicated the discussion had reached "a very positive conclusion" and stated that "there should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products." Further indicating an improvement in relations, China has issued temporary export permits to rare-earth suppliers serving the three largest US automobile manufacturers, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation quoted in the report. Also Read | Donald Trump vs Elon Musk: Who has more to lose - US President or world's richest man? Stakes are high for both! Senior officials from both nations are scheduled to meet in London on Monday for additional discussions. Trump informed reporters on Friday about significant progress in negotiations with China. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 최대 할인 지원해드려요 임플란터 더 알아보기 Undo Following discussions in Geneva, Switzerland on May 12, both nations agreed to a 90-day suspension of their reciprocal high-percentage tariffs, which had been implemented by Trump. The announcement positively influenced financial markets, which had been concerned about trade interruptions. However, China's April suspension of exports for essential minerals and magnets continues to affect global supply chains, impacting automakers, semiconductor producers and defence contractors. Trump alleged Chinese breaches of the Geneva accord and implemented restrictions on chip-design software and other Chinese-bound exports. Beijing dismissed these accusations and warned of retaliatory actions. Also Read | 'Give your best offers by…': Donald Trump administration pushes countries to urgently finalise trade deals as tariff deadline looms China maintains strategic control over rare earths and critical minerals, potentially affecting Trump's position as domestic economic performance could decline if manufacturers lack access to these mineral-dependent components. Trump's erratic policy decisions on international trade since his White House return in January have created uncertainty amongst global leaders and the business community. His pattern of announcing strict trade penalties against various nations, followed by sudden withdrawals of these threats, has left both international counterparts and corporate executives perplexed about the administration's actual stance. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
