Furniture on Central Street footpaths forces Shivajinagar pedestrians onto the road

Shradha Prakash, who works on Church Street, says pedestrians on Central Street are repeatedly forced off the footpath and into the road. Furniture shops have placed chairs, tables, bean bags and other goods along the walkway, she said, on a traffic-heavy stretch close to Shivajinagar Bus Stop.

Central Street connects commuters to M.G. Road Metro Station and Commercial Street, and is also used by employees from nearby commercial establishments. Arun, who works on Infantry Road, said workers often step out along the stretch for beverages, but many avoid it because the footpath is obstructed.

The obstruction sits about 50 metres from Lady Curzon Road, where Central Corporation recently carried out a footpath-clearance drive. A corporation source said furniture shops had been warned during that operation and had temporarily removed their displays; clearance work on Central Street is still pending.

For Abhishek Kumar, who sells juice from a cart near Infantry Road, the drives bring a different worry. He said he fears losing customers if his cart is moved from an area where he regularly sells his daily stock of sweet lime juice.