Teynampet Footpaths Score 1.36 out of 5 in CAG Walkability Audit

A walkability audit conducted across key streets in Teynampet revealed severe deficiencies in pedestrian infrastructure, assigning the neighbourhood's footpaths an accessibility score of just 1.36 out of 5.

To mark World Pedestrian Day, the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) carried out the audit around its office neighbourhood, assessing Eldams Road, Thiruvalluvar Street, and Venus Colony. The exercise evaluated accessibility, footpath quality, and perceived safety for everyday pedestrians.

According to the findings, footpath quality matched the accessibility score at 1.36 out of 5, while the average rating for perceived pedestrian safety stood at 1.91 out of 5. More than 200 pedestrians were informally counted along the routes during the audit, underscoring the heavy daily foot traffic the area accommodates.

Auditors observed that footpaths across the evaluated stretches were frequently missing, broken, or inaccessible. Where footpaths were present, they were routinely obstructed by parked vehicles, private property ramps, garbage bins, electricity infrastructure, and street vendors. In several locations, public footpath spaces had been fenced off or claimed as private property extensions, forcing pedestrians directly onto the carriageway alongside vehicular traffic.

Meenakshi, an electricity governance researcher who commutes along the stretch, highlighted the daily hazards faced by walkers between the Teynampet Metro station and nearby offices, citing obstacles such as moving traffic, puddles, loose stones, and exposed wires.

Divya Arvind, a researcher in sustainable mobility and road safety at CAG, noted that public spaces intended for all road users are being converted into private extensions of homes, compromising basic safety and mobility.

The findings were presented as part of CAG’s broader work within the Road Safety Network. Citing Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways data from 2024, the organisation pointed out that 36,536 pedestrians lost their lives in road crashes that year, representing 20.6 percent of all road fatalities nationwide.

CAG stressed that improving safety requires comprehensive measures beyond building isolated walkways, calling for continuous footpaths, encroachment clearance, safe road crossings, and context-based speed enforcement under the State Road Safety Action Plan.