Revamped stretch of Cross Cut Road evokes mixed response

Cleared/Anil
Coimbatore: The temporarily redesigned stretch of Cross Cut Road was opened to the public on Sunday. While the younger, slow and window shoppers, who reached the road by public transport, were relieved to find the arrangements, those drove in found the road more congested, as the driving space has narrowed down.
The city corporation, along with the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammernarbeit (GIZ), has redesigned around 1km stretch of Cross Cut Road to make it pedestrian friendly.They showcased it to the public on the day to get their feedback.
Many shoppers were seen enjoying the facilities and taking a stroll along the pedestrian path, which is 2.5m to 4.5m wide, that is painted in yellow colour. A few were seen resting in seating areas that are equipped with tyres and other recycled material along the cycle track.
“The road suddenly looks extremely attractive, colourful and vibrant,” says Laxmi Seshadri, a faculty member of a college. “And it is extremely thoughtful of them to create seating arrangements on the road, where the shoppers usually have to be on their feet for long.”
Many youngsters and mothers, who were accompanied by children, also enjoyed the pedestrian path, saying it made them feel safer and relaxed. “Four of us could walk down the stretch, chatting and looking at the hawker stalls in a relaxed manner. It was not possible earlier when we always had to watch out for a cyclist or two-wheeler rider,” says Pavithra, a software company employee.
Sathyaprabha, a private hospital employee, was also relived to find the pedestrian path. “Earlier, I was scared to hold my son’s hand and walk to a shop that was far away. But this time, we were able to find a parking space, walk to two shops, have a bite at an eatery and walk back to our two-wheeler.”
However, people who drove in found the road more congested. “With a single lane traffic, it is too difficult,” says B Kannan who had come from Salem with his family for shopping. Manivannan, a businessman, expressed a similar view. “The road is becoming narrower and it is a matter of time before traffic pile-up occurs.”