For many residents of Choolaimedu living behind Arumbakkam Metro Rail station, walking to the bus stop on Outer Ring Road or to the station has been arduous.
P. Kaliyamoorthy, who has been living in Dayaluammal Street in Choolaimedu for five decades, said that 15 years ago, access was easier as there were not many buildings.
“With time, many houses have come up. Now, it takes us about 10 minutes to reach the Arumbakkam bus stop or the Metro station,” he says.
Residents like him demand a pedestrian pathway over the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam canal. Sudha Ramalingam, an advocate and a resident of Padmanabha Nagar, said it would be helpful for commuters if there were feeder services connecting areas like Kamala Nehru Nagar, Dayaluammal Street, Loganathan Nagar, Tamizhar Street and Padmanabha Nagar with the nearest bus stop or the station.
“From the terrace, I can see the train passing by so close to my residence but it is difficult to walk all the way to the station. It will greatly improve access for them if a pathway is built,” Ms. Ramalingam said.
Officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation said they would try to build a pedestrian embankment along the canal soon.