Greater Noida set to make 1.5-km stretch pedestrian friendly

The Greater Noida authority on Wednesday said that it has decided to turn a 1.5-km stretch of road in the city pedestrian friendly. If successful, the authority will replicate the model on other roads too.

The Greater Noida authority on Wednesday said that it has decided to turn a 1.5-km stretch of road in the city pedestrian friendly. If successful, the authority will replicate the model on other roads too.

In the absence of proper walkways, pedestrians end up walking on busy roads amidst traffic. (HT File Photo)

The stretch lies between Sectors Alpha I and Alpha II. Another stretch of the same length is located between Beta I and Beta II.

“In the absence of a walkway on this 1.5-km stretch, pedestrians have to walk on roads. They feel unsafe because motorists drive at a very high speed. To offer pedestrians a safe passage, we have taken a decision to make this stretch pedestrian-friendly so that those on foot can walk to their destination comfortably,” said Deepak Agarwal, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Greater Noida authority.

“Cyclists, bikers or motorists will not be allowed to use these stretches,” he added.

The authority is likely to start the process of selection of a private agency to build the walkway soon. Once this project is done, another stretch between sectors Gamma I and Gamma II will also be developed for pedestrians in a similar way.

“We have decided to lay tiles on the 1.5-km stretch so that rainwater can seep into the soil, thus helping recharge groundwater. The walkway will be built in a manner that looks aesthetically pleasing and is also cost effective for us,” said Aggarwal.

“Once built, we will invite suggestions and reactions from pedestrians and other citizens on the initiative. If they give positive feedback on the design, construction material and concept, we will build such stretches in other areas too,” the CEO added.

“If this model proves successful, we will form a team to identify areas where such stretches need to be developed for pedestrians. We have observed that motorists do not give way to pedestrians. Therefore, we decided to reserve space for them,” said Rajiv Tyagi, general manager of Greater Noida authority.