Chew on this: Of the 1,505 fatalities recorded in 2011 by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police, a freightening 567 of them were pedestrians (almost 37 per cent). Till August this year, out of the 962 persons killed, 369 are pedestrians. “A slight fall compared to last year’s figure of 384 till August,” additional deputy commissioner (traffic planning), S Sivanandam argues.
While the cops may pat themselves on the back for the marginally reduced numbers, it is clear that pedestrians continue to be the main victims of road accidents in Chennai. Blame it on drunken driving, over-speeding and rash driving, but a walk on the roads will show how notoriously pedestrian-unfriendly the city has become. Footpaths have been the first casualties.
From being used by shops as extended storage area or hidden under mounds of garbage to being encroached by hawkers and eateries, footpaths are fast vanishing in neighbourhoods. And now, even the pavements on bridges in Adyar, Saidapet and Koyambedu have been taken over by two-wheelers.
“I filed 152 cases against erection of cut-outs on pavements without permission, but nothing has been done so far,” said activist ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, revealing another aspect of the issue. “Recently, I also filed a plea against sale of Vinayagar idols on platforms.”His take: It is the police who are encouraging hawkers. “Only the police can save the lives of citizens,” he said. “As per law, they are responsible for safe pedestrian and vehicular movements. But the present police are trying to escape from their responsibility by putting the onus on the corporation.”
Ask the police, and they claim that pedestrians enjoy first and foremost priority in traffic planning. Infrastructure such as traffic signals, zebra crossings, and speed breakers have been put in place, ADC Sivanandam said. “At traffic signals, 22-25 seconds are given for the movement of pedestrians. At school junctions, we have fixed rubberised speed breakers.” He added, “Our police personnel go to schools and colleges and conduct classes on traffic rules and regulations and on how to use pedestrian pathways. Traffic policemen help senior citizens and the physically challenged to cross the roads.”
Traffic transgressions were being dealt with strictly and stiff penalties imposed on the violators, he added. “This year, we have collected Rs 23 crore in fines so far,” the officer said.
Blaming the continuing accidents on inadequate infrastructure, he said, there were 36 lakh vehicles in the city, but poor roads. “Yesterday’s roads being used for today’s traffic is a major problem,” he rued.
Add to that lack of self-discipline in both motorists and pedestrians. “People do not follow police’s instructions,” he claimed. “There are different signages on the roads, but nobody reads them. There are subways and foot overbridges, but pedestrians seldom use them.”
And ‘killer roads’ like OMR and ECR posed problems for both police and pedestrians. At OMR, a driver and watchman of a college were mowed down by a speeding car while crossing the road in a hit-and-run case on Monday. “The entire stretch on the shore is filled with fishermen settllements,” a traffic police official said.
“They cross the road without paying attention to oncoming traffic.” Besides, there was no central medians and no streetlights too, he added. While encroachments have been removed, there are no parking lots for vehicles.
Most importantly, wine shops, which were once located in the interiors, are now on the road. “Men in an inebriated condition cross the road to go to their houses located on the opposite side and get hit.” ‘Things are improving, according to ADC Sivanandam. Poles have been installed for streetlights and the Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation is in the process of erecting a central median on ECR.
And the Rs 117-crore Integrated Traffic Management System was also under implementation. “But above all, people must show a sense of social responsibility,” he said.
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