Step to car-free Connaught Place will reduce pollution

A car-free Connaught Place will not only reduce the immediate exposure of people to air pollution but also spell boon for traders in the area contrary to fears of a slump, experts say.

In fact, similar measures worldwide have translated into a dramatic increase in sales and also rentals. CP, as the area is popularly known as, is poised to become an “open-air mall” once the decision is implemented, they opine.

Both Raj Cherubal of Chennai City Project of Anumita Roychowdhury of CSE are of the view that the notion that it will hit trade is misplaced. Cherubal, an urban planner, cited the examples of Shanghai’s Nanjing Road or USA’s Times Square to buttress his point.