Pramesh S Jain & Yogesh K Porwar
The Traffic department officials launching a special drive across the city to create awareness about Jay walking which is considered as one of the fatal reasons for the most number of accidental deaths.
On Monday the traffic officials held a meeting with the BBMP and transport officials and submitted a proposal to construct high rise pedestrian crossing across the city on priority basis .
The officials who have conducted a survey prepared a list of 240 high rise pedestrian crossing across the city.
The BBMP officials agreed to construct 50 high rise pedestrians crossing on priority basis and the rest of it will be completed in phased manner,Dr.BR Ravikanthe Gowda,Joint Commissioner of Police ( traffic ),who chaired the meeting,said.
Analysis of the pedestrian accidents conducted by the traffic police revealed that over 70 percent of the pedestrians deaths in and around the city occurred due to crossing the roads other than designated pedestrian crossing.
Though there are ample number of pedestrian crossing present people jay walk on road and jump medians which is a matter of serious concern,Mr.Gowda,said .
The statistics in the last three years showed that a total number of 598 pedestrians were killed in and around the city .
According to the statistics 278 pedestrians were killed in 2019,164 in 2020 and 161 in the year 2021.
Though the number of deaths have slightly reduced,the death rates could further be contained by following the traffic rules,he said.
In order to rise awareness among the pedestrians,the traffic police have selected a highly sensitive places across the city to conduct awareness drive .
The awareness includes penalising the violators with of Rs.100 (symbolic,which is as per the IMV act) and creating awareness to stop them repeating .
The traffic police also discussed the existing situation of sky walks and underpass and asked the BBMP to clear the place to make more pedestrian friendly.
The BBMP and the traffic police will jointly deploy security personnel at the underpass to ensure the safety of the users,Mr.Gowda,added .
The awareness drive aims pedestrian safety and to ensure they have decent space to cross the road and footpaths to walk.
