Bhubaneswar, May 24: The state government has decided to walk the extra mile to make the capital streets more walkable.

The state housing and urban development department has requested Philippines-based Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) to conduct a study on the problems faced by pedestrians and how to make best possible use of the available infrastructure for pedestrians in the city.

The housing and urban development department has asked the CAI-Asia to study problems that pedestrians face in areas such as Lingaraj temple, Unit-I and Unit-II markets and suggest remedial measures. The organisation will also take up the study on one of the busiest roads of the capital — the Biju Patnaik airport-Utkal University road — as it acts as a link to a number of educational institutions, markets, offices, malls and residential colonies.

This study comes in the wake of last year’s walkability study in six Indian cities in which Bhubaneswar had scored 50 out of 100 points in benchmarking the pedestrian infrastructure leaving behind cities such as Chennai, Surat and Indore.

CAI-Asia local representative Piyush Ranjan Rout said the study would help the government know the potential of the infrastructure available for the pedestrians.

“A preliminary survey has already shown that more people want to come to the central area of the city from Sailashree Vihar, Chandrasekharpur and Infocity by better buses or air-conditioned public transport facilities instead of their cars. But as there is no such facility, commuters still have to use their personal cars for transportation needs. Many cycle tracks on the Nandankanan-airport road are also either blocked by parking of vehicles or used by motorcycle or scooter riders,’’ Rout said.

Additional secretary of housing and urban development department Sanjib Kumar Mishra said: “The project report will be prepared by CAI-Asia and the state government will not spend anything on it. However, the government will facilitate all technical assistance through the public works department, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, the directorate of town planning and city police. Their report should also have all facts and figures endorsed by the departments and organisations concerned so that we can think of implementing their suggestions in future.”

Structural engineer Subhakanta Swain said the proposal to have a detailed report on the city’s walkability is a welcome step, but the authorities should immediately take up projects they promised earlier to facilitate pedestrian movements as the number of vehicles in the city was going up very fast. The civic body should also construct three foot overbridges at Master Canteen Square, Rupali Square and Jayadev Vihar Square.