Pramesh S Jain & Yogesh K Porwar
I
n an effort to ensure pedestrian safety,the Bengaluru city traffic police accompanied with BBMP officials have launched a special drive to clear hackers and shop keepers from footpaths.
According to MN Anucheth,Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic)not only ensure safe path for the pedestrian but also prevent them from walking on the road endangering the lives.
As part of the campaign all the 48 jurisdictional traffic station police officials have been directed to identify the footpaths and clear from encroachment.
This campaign will start from main roads and the police officials have been asked to focus on one road everyday,until all the footpaths have been cleared from the traffic .
The officials have also been asked to seek the help of civic agencies whenever needed,Mr.Anucheth,said .
The hackers and shop keepers who have encroached the footpath have been given warning for the first time and the officials have been asked to book cases against the repeat offenders.
According to the statistics as many as 248 pedestrians were killed and over 800 of them were injured in accidents reported in and around the city in the year 2022.
Though there are good size of footpaths especially in the CBD areas and also in arterial roads,it has been encroached either by hackers or being used by the bikers frequently forcing the pedestrians to walk on road.
Absence of footpaths and zebra crossings also add woes to the road users and hence the traffic police in an effort to minimize the fatalities among the pedestrians have launched the campaign.
The police officials have been directed to focus on encroachment,parking and riding on footpaths and ensure footpaths are meant for pedestrians like roads are meant for motorists under “reclaim footpath”drive ,
Sujeetha,Salman,DCP Traffic,South division,said .
Meanwhile the Yeshwanthapur Traffic police started a special drive on rehabilitating beggers found in traffic junctions and on footpaths .
The idea is to save them from jay walking and involved in fatal accidents.A team of 10 officials in batches along with the staff of the beggars rehab center assembled in and around Yeshwanthpur Circle and Railway station.
The officials found many destitutes and conducted awareness campaign about risk to their lives and send them to the beggars rehab center.
The detained people were offered breakfast from the police before sending them to rehab centre.
Another Senior officer said,that the main purpose of this drive was to protect the destitutes from accidents and injuries as two cases of accidents in the Yeshwanthpur Circle have been reported.
We started this drive in order to reduce the number of accidents by sending them to beggars rehab centres”. He also stated that these centers will ensure proper treatment of the pedestrian destitute by providing them food and shelter.
