Finding her/his way through the ever-increasing road traffic has only worsened woes for the pedestrians, after the Hyderabad Metro Rail has embarked upon the task of barricading the road medians.
The HMR authorities have begun to secure their pillars on various stretches, by raising traffic medians to over two to three feet.
Work on median fortification began on stretches including L.B.Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, Ameerpet and Begumpet. Cement bricks are being laid and plastered pillar to pillar, while the middle portion is being left vacant to facilitate landscaping in future.
While the idea is intended only to prevent vehicles from hitting the pillars and damaging them, it is causing inconvenience for the pedestrians trying to cross the road.
They have to either walk till they hit upon the nearest ‘U’ turn or traffic signal, or risk their limbs trying to climb over the barricades.
“My bus stop is just across the road, which I would otherwise reach by crossing the road. But, now that they have barricaded it, I am forced to walk all the distance up to the U turn, and walk all the way back to the stop. Sometimes, I am booking a cab, fearing the ordeal,” says Samhita K., who is a commuter from Kothapet.
Many do not follow the rigorous path, and instead, jump over the barricades, injuring themselves occasionally.
Fewer options
To facilitate the Metro Rail construction, traffic signals and junctions too have been moved or removed at quite a few places, which has left fewer options of road safety for walkers.
The GHMC officials argue that the pedestrians are not supposed to cross the roads wherever they please, hence raising the median height is a good move. However, walking up to safer crossing has its own risks.
Vehicles parked by the roadside, vehicles reversing onto the roads, and those vehicles taking the wrong side with impunity only put the walkers in trouble. Walking to right place for crossing the road at convenient location has turned an ordeal.
Pedestrian rights activist Kantimati Kannan blames the Metro Rail authorities for defaulting on their promise of providing safe pedestrian options.
“Mr. N.V.S.Reddy has promised to provide pedestrian paths all along the metro rail corridors. Where are they? He should take the blame, or the GHMC officials should take the blame, as it is their responsibility,” she fumes.
If Hyderabad is to be made a world class city as claimed by the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, it should match the standards of pedestrian safety ensured by such cities, she says. She also points out the extremely dangerous stretch in fornt of the Chief Minister’s camp office which is a pedestrians’ nightmare.
