COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has commenced a pilot project to design and implement safer streets around schools and colleges in the city through tactical interventions. The pilot project has started on the VKK Menon Road where Sidhapudur Corporation Higher Secondary School and the corporation elementary school are located. The design is implemented in a stretch of 200 meters on this road. It will benefit around 530 students from both the schools. According to a senior corporation official, the safe street project will be executed in 10 locations in five zones. The areas include Vincent Road, Raja Street at Town Hall, Pioneer Mills Road and Nehru Nagar. Design CoLab is serving as a project consultant while the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP India) acts as a knowledge partner. The initiative focuses on temporary, quick-build, and low-cost tactical urban design interventions to rapidly improve safety and accessibility around schools while allowing evaluation and refinement before permanent upgrades. A total of 4 km is planned for this project. It is expected to benefit more than 5,000 students. It will also benefit pedestrians and cyclists. According to accident data from the city traffic police, 55 children were involved in road accidents in Coimbatore in 2025. Sanchana S, a senior associate with ITDP India, told TOI that a safety audit conducted in December 2025 within a 250-metre radius of schools revealed significant infrastructure gaps, including missing or discontinuous footpaths, lack of signage and road markings, absence of zebra crossings and inadequate pedestrian signals. “The pilot design on the VKK Menon Road is a perfect choice because lots of vehicles were parked there earlier. We aim to ensure that the speed of vehicles won’t exceed 20 kmph in school zones. The asphalt painted street design will alert drivers. There are sufficient signages of speed breakers. A small space has been created for dropping and picking up students,” Sanchana said.
