In a major milestone in the city’s effort to institutionalise people centric street planning and sustainable urban mobility, Thoothukudi corporation has adopted healthy streets policy and comprehensive road and street design guidelines.This adoption marks a significant step towards creating a safer, more inclusive and climate resilient transport system for the city.According to a press statement from Thoothukudi Corporation, the policy and guidelines were developed under the UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme, through a consortium led by IIT-Madras with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) India, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and UK-based Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies (CENEX) serving as the implementing partners.The policy and design guidelines for the programme are based on the recommendations of urban mobility gap assessment and a series of capacity development activities undertaken as part of the UK PACT programme.In March 2026, officials of the Thoothukudi corporation and representatives from multiple stakeholder departments participated in a capacity development workshop supported by ITDP India. The workshop focused on Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) infrastructure, healthy street principles, and bus shelter planning. Based on the study findings and subsequent stakeholder consultations, the policy and guidelines have been prepared with the technical support from ITDP India.With the rapid growth in motorisation and economic activity, Thoothukudi is increasingly experiencing traffic congestion, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, haphazard parking practices and unorganised street vending. Speaking to The Hindu, Thoothukudi Corporation Mayor Jegan Periyasamy stated although separate spaces have been allocated for street vendors, the emergence of new vendors is increasing everyday. He added that to address these challenges, Thoothukudi corporation as a first step has adopted the healthy streets and comprehensive road and street design policy. The press statement explained that the healthy street policy establishes the city’s long term vision for creating streets that are safe, inclusive, healthy, climate resilient and accessible for all users. It provides strategic direction for integrating walking, cycling, public transport, universal accessibility, climate responsive planning, road safety and place-making into future transport and infrastructure investments.The guidelines promote sensitive street design that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists while ensuring efficient movement of public transport and essential vehicular transport.The policy will guide the development and retrofitting streets with continuous and accessible footpaths, safe and well designed pedestrian crossings, dedicated and organised multi-utility zones, designated vending spaces that support local livelihoods, accessible public transport facilities and bus stops, traffic calmed intersections and safer junction designs, tree lined streets and green infrastructure for thermal comfort, as well as efficient carriageway management and organised parking. Published - July 02, 2026 08:00 pm IST