Despite being designed for safe pedestrian exit, footpaths outside Metro Blue Line 1 stations have been overrun by hawkers and food stalls, forcing thousands of commuters to walk on the road, jostle through crowds, or risk standing in traffic, mid-day has reported.

While vendors dominate nearly three-fourths of available pavement space, the remaining stretch is taken up by people queuing for buses or autos, leaving no room for safe pedestrian movement. The result is familiarly chaotic, dangerous conditions at some of the city’s busiest junctions.

We need to have better organisation when it comes to Metro stations. We must learn our lessons from crowds outside train stations, where hawkers have taken over footpaths at many spots and pedestrians are walking on the roads with vehicles precariously close.