Laxmi Rd gets 3.5m walkwayBigger pedestrian walkway on Laxmi road from Monday

PUNE: Parking of vehicles on the left side of Laxmi Road from Belbaug Chowk to Tilak Chowk has been banned by the traffic police to create a 3.5 metre walkway for pedestrians. The new arrangement will come into effect from November 15 for a period of 15 days, during which citizens' feedback has been sought to decide whether the arrangement can be made permanent.
Space, which was earlier reserved for parking on left side of Laxmi Road and the footpath space will be utilised to make the pedestrian walkway. Parking will be allowed only on the right side of the road.
Speaking with TOI, Vishwas Pandhare, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said, "We have implemented this plan on Bajirao Road in front of Tulshibaug and it has received positive responses from citizens. In this plan for Laxmi Road, pedestrians can use footpath as well as previously reserved parking space on the left side of the road. It means, commuters can use 3.5 metre space for walking on Laxmi Road," he said.
"Temporary barricades will be put up from Belbaug Chowk to Tilak Chowk for safe passage of pedestrians. This will help the people to walk freely and safely. The traffic police and officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation will take a tough stand against hawkers who cause congestion on footpaths and the free space on the road. We have urged the people to give their suggestions and comments on this scheme so that we can decide whether to make this parmanent," he said.
Citizens can share their comments, demands, suggestions and complaints to Pune traffic police by phone at traffic police control room on 020-26122000, can send mails at punepolicetraffic@gmail.com or even post messages on the Facebook of the 'Pune Traffic Police'.
Civic organisations have welcomed the initiative. Prashant Inamdar, convener of Pedestrians First, said, "It is one of the tangible decisions that came out of the discussions on walking plaza proposed by authorities concerned. We look at the decision with a positive outlook as pedestrians will be able to enjoy walking on Laxmi Road throughout the week," he said.
Inamdar hoped that the decision will be implemented on permanent basis, after discussions between the authorities and people in the neighborhood of Laxmi Road.
Nagrik Chetana Manch president Maj Gen (retd) S C N Jatar had some reservations about the plan. He said, "In 2006, a consultant agency had recommended widening of footpaths for pedestrians and leaving a single vehicle lane in the centre on Laxmi Road. They had also submitted the drawings along with the recommendations to the authorities. Though it is a good decision to have a larger walkway for pedestrians, authorities should have wider discussions with the stake-holders in the area along with pedestrians before implementing it."
"Any such plan should have a proper project report which should be put on the website for a wider discussion with the public and it should be implemented only after taking all the objections and suggestions into consideration on a trial basis. A final decision can be taken after assessing the feedback," he added.
Vivek Velankar, president of the Sajag Nagrik Manch, said, "Such experiments should be implemented to gauge reactions of the people. This can help authorities take final decisions. Merchants and their employees park their vehicles in allotted parking space for whole day, which results in lack of parking space on the road. A single side parking is good but views of shopkeepers, who have shops on the parking side should also be taken into consideration. If the municipal parking lots work more efficiently and transparently, then this decision can help the pedestrians and the residents of the area as well."