More 3D zebra crossings soon

Zebra crossings that appear to jump out of the road will dot Lutyens’ Delhi soon with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) planning on expanding its ‘3D’ project.

Delhi got its first 3D pedestrian crossing in July last year on Rajaji Marg. Soon after that, another such crossing that looks like blocks rising from the road was painted on Safdarjung Road. The latest 3D crossing was completed on Monday outside Vigyan Bhawan, said Yogesh Saini, founder of Delhi Street Art, the group that is executing the project.

‘Making roads safer’

The aim of the project is to make roads safer by alerting motorists in advance to slow down at a pedestrian crossing. As per NDMC officials, the first two 3D crossings were well-received.

In his presentation of the budget for 2017-18 on January 13, NDMC chairperson Naresh Kumar proposed a plan to make all 130km of avenue roads in Lutyens’ Delhi ‘smart’. The smart roads project, includes cycling tracks, better signage, pelican crossings and 3D zebra crossings.

Janpath, Ashoka road next

To start off, 24 such crossings will be painted on Janpath and Ashoka road, and even one outside a gate of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Using thermoplastic paint, which is used to mark dividers and was used to mark lanes for buses during the Commonwealth Games in 2010, a team of Delhi Street Art will carry out the project within the next two to three months, said Mr. Saini.

The work will start after Republic Day as the team works at night and security concerns will prevent them from doing so till the January 26 celebrations are over.