D Dhanuraj, Chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), highlighted the challenges facing pedestrian infrastructure in Kochi in an article published by The New Indian Express. Drawing on CPPR’s pedestrian audits in Ernakulam, he noted that seemingly minor obstructions such as parked scooters, broken slabs, and narrow passages can render footpaths unusable.

Dhanuraj observed that many footpaths are frequently interrupted by electric poles, transformers, junction boxes, bus stops, and abrupt changes in height, making them inconvenient for pedestrians and inaccessible for wheelchair users and the elderly. He also stressed that better street design, stronger enforcement, regular maintenance, and greater public awareness are essential, adding that footpaths were built for people and reclaiming them should not require constant policing.

The article was published in The New Indian Express on June 23, 2026. Read the full article here.