Can elevated pedestrian crossings make roads safer?

Can elevated pedestrian crossings make roads safer?
New Indian Express

Concerned over the increasing burden of pedestrian deaths, the city traffic police have introduced ‘‘high-rise pedestrian crossings’’ on busy roads.

These are zebra crossings six inches above the ground level. They have come up on Brigade Road, St. Mark’s Road, Commissariat Road, Richmond Road, Palace Road (opposite Mount Carmel College), Vittal Mallya Road (Opposite Mallya Hospital) and Residency Road.

‘‘We have built 10 such elevated pedestrian crossings. These are mostly on one-ways. We learnt that pedestrians find it difficult to cross one-ways. At least 20 such elevated crossings will be built within the next couple of months,’’ said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic East) M.A. Saleem.

The elevated structures, apart from providing better visibility will also help in slowing down the speeding vehicles. ‘‘This will reduce the chances of an accident,’’ says a traffic police.

According to the police sources, it was the fatal accident of a Mount Carmel student that forced them to come up with an alternative for zebra crossings.

Only recently, a speeding lorry hit a Mount Carmel Student outside the college premises. The incident triggered protests from angry students.

At least a 100 fatal accidents of pedestrians have been reported almost every month despite speed breakers, zebra crossings and traffic police deployed in almost every nook and corner of the city.

In 2004, at least 390 people were killed in such accidents. In the last two months, the number of pedestrians injured was 369 and number killed was 80.

The police blame it on the rash drivers and careless pedestrians.

Road users now seem happy. Says Ramesh P, who works for a company on Residency Road: ‘‘I have seen many pedestrian accidents on this road. They cross the road anywhere only because they did not know where they had to cross. The new structures are a boon to the pedestrians.’’

Nevertheless, will pedestrians use these elevated crossings? Or will they too be like those deserted footover bridges and subways? Only time can answer.