The Thiruvananthapuram city police have flagged the hazards posed to pedestrian safety by the mushrooming wayside eateries in the State capital.
Concerned over the rising number of pedestrian traffic fatalities, the police have urged the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to evict illegal ‘thattukadas’ that encroached footpaths.
City Police Commissioner K. Sanjaykumar Gurudin, who has taken up the issue with Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth, pointed out that such encroachments have contributed to the rising number of casualties over the years.
Sixty-six out of the 202 people who died in road accidents in 2018 were pedestrians. As many as 26 pedestrians were killed in accidents so far this year. Food-vending outlets that occupied large stretches of footpaths and the lack of pavement in certain parts of the city were found to have resulted in many such deaths.
Vulnerable
The officer pointed out that such obstructions compelled pedestrians to walk on roads, making them vulnerable to mishaps. Worsening the situation, several customers park their vehicles on the road and congest vehicular traffic. Many such outlets have also become gathering points for anti-social elements who posed threat to women and child safety, Mr. Gurudin said.
A communication forwarded to the Thiruvananthapuram Mayor in this regard included images of ‘thattukadas’ that encroached footpaths along the Althara-Manaveeyam road, Shangumughom-Airport road, Chala, Killipalam, East Fort, Peroorkada Junction, in front of Kairali theatre in Thampanoor, Opposite Bharat Bhavan in Thycaud, the entrance of the Government Medical College and Kazhakuttom junction on the NH-66 bypass.
Mr. Gurudin has urged the City Corporation to examine the legality of such outlets and take adopt necessary action against those unauthorised to operate. Action has also been recommended against those who granted permission overlooking the prescribed norms. He pledged adequate police assistance for carrying out the eviction process.