Busy roads hard to cross, say pedestrians

Busy roads hard to cross, say pedestrians
New Indian Express

Pedestrians have a tough time crossing the road with vehicles speeding over the zebra crossing at the Police Thimmaiah Circle in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: The ever-increasing traffic on Bangalore’s roads has become a menace for pedestrians. Getting to the other side of the road has become a formidable task.

The busy Basaveshwara Circle, Mekhri Circle, South End Circle, Brigade junction, Anand Rao Cirle to name a few, are junctions where pedestrians face problems each time they try to cross the road.

Darshan Murthy, a resident of Vasanthnagar says: ‘‘Speeding vehicles at Basaveshwara Circle jump signals and pedestrians get hardly 10 seconds to cross.

People can be seen running for their lives as the oncoming traffic will not stop for them.’’ He added that police look on helplessly.

College student G.S. Soumya says that during VIP movement, pedestrians have to wait longer, unwillingly. She also says pedestrians should be allowed to move freely as they do not obstruct speeding VIP vehicles.

A traffic constable at Anand Rao Circle says pedestrians are some times the culprits. ‘‘Most of the jams on the circles are due to pedestrians.

They try to cross between signals when the vehicles are still on the move,’’ he says. However, another pedestrian at the junction says the traffic does not stop even when signal turns red. ‘‘Even after pedestrians get the green signal, vehicles continue to speed leaving people stranded,’’ says Faizal, resident of Palace Road.

Meanwhile, police have planned pedestrians pathways and ‘‘reflecting zebra crossings’’ at junctions. One such reflecting zebra-crossing is under trail at the M.G. Road junction.