A mishap waiting to happen

A mishap waiting to happen
A traffic signal set up after a railway junction near Bhoopasandra-Outer Ring Road junction is causing vehicles to pile up on the railway track
DEBI PRASAD SARANGI


Unmanned railway crossings are prone to accidents. But a manned railway crossing in Bangalore seems more dangerous than an unmanned crossing.
The traffic police have installed a traffic signal after a railway junction near Bhoopasandra-Outer Ring Road junction. During peak hours, when the signal is red, vehicles start piling up on the road and even on the railway track. Fortunately so far, no train has crossed the junction when the signal is red. But a mishap is waiting to happen as vehicles will not be in a position to go back from the railway line as there will be a huge queue of vehicles.
Road users term traffic department’s decision to introduce a signal right after the level crossing as ridiculous. “Most of time I travel through this route. During peak hours, the traffic becomes quite hectic. It is really scary to halt over the railway line. Instead of solving the traffic problem, the signal complicates it,” said Imtiaz Hassan of Sanjay Nagar.
UNMANAGEABLE
Even traffic cops managing that junction find it really tough. Why did the traffic department come up with a signal near a level crossing which might lead to any fatal accidents? Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) told Bangalore Mirror, “Yes, we have
received complaints. Earlier,
that was a two-way road and it led to heavy traffic congestion when trains used to
pass through that level crossing. No doubt, if one out of four approach roads of a junction comes through a level crossing, it creates a lot of problems. To avoid such problems, we have made that road one way on experimental basis. That means people can reach the ring road from that side and entry to that side is 100 meters ahead only. If it works properly, we will make that road one way permanently.”
However, Akhil Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, South-western railway (Bangalore Division) said, “To avoid any untoward situation on level crossing, we will erect a sign board directing the motorists to stop vehicles much before the level crossing gate when the traffic signal turns red.”