Persons with disabilities (PwDs) activists have raised concerns over the manner in which bollards would be installed on pavements, after the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) floated tenders . The activists stated that the current approach obstructs pedestrian access, particularly for wheelchair users, and underminines pedestrian safety.
Persons with disabilities call for accessible pavements in Chennai
Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a disability rights activist, said that bollards were originally intended to protect pedestrians and meant to be placed adjacent to the carriageway. “The intent of bollards appears to have shifted to only preventing unauthorised parking and vehicular movement,” she said. She noted that many roads in Chennai still do not have pavements, while those that do, are often damaged or encroached upon by parked vehicles. In the absence of proper regulation, bollards are installed indiscriminately across footpaths, making them difficult or impossible to navigate for wheelchair users, senior citizens and children.
She pointed out that there is no height difference between the road and the pavement on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, and in the event of a vehicle going out of control, the bollards would not offer any real protection to pedestrians. “Where is road safety? Where is equity in any of this?” Ms. Vaishnavi asked. “Instead of ensuring clear pedestrian passages, bollards and paver blocks are often laid around trees or electric poles without considering accessibility. This is like the adding insult to injury” .
