Piecemeal measures being taken by civic and law enforcement agencies to regulate traffic, curb parking and to barricade worksites have become a threat to the safety of road users and pedestrians.
A 56-year-old person from Panangad tripped over a thin nylon rope which is said to have been tied to prevent parking on the footpaths, that was tied between ballards at Menaka Junction on Wednesday night, suffering a bruised nose and broken teeth after he fell on his face onto the pavement. This comes a week after a woman fractured her legs after getting entrapped in an open pipe drain built by Cochin Smart Mission Limited near High Court, on Abraham Madamakkal Road.
Wednesday’s victim Anil Kumar C D, an optical shop emloyee, spoke of how he was proceeding through the pavement to board a bus, when he tripped on the rope tied between two bollards. “One would not see it at night, since it was just a feet from the ground. I fell on my face, suffering a bleeding nose and broken teeth. Two others met with a similar fate, soon after. Police personnel who were present there said it was done as per the orders of a senior official.”
I was taken to Ernakulam General Hospital, from where I opted for ESI Hospital, since I have ESI coverage. I have taken five days leave to overcome the injuries and trauma. The police must tie only visible tapes, failing which such incidents would recur, Mr Anil Kumar said.
Social activist Shamier Abdullah, who witnessed the incident and that of two other pedestrians tripping and falling over the same nylon rope, said he was shocked at the apathy of the rule enforcers who chose to act in blatant violation of safety norms. Traders in the vicinity said they witness similar incidents often times. The police must tie reflective tapes over traffic cones to prevent parking, if need arose, and not such crude methods,” he said.
An official associated with the Kerala Road Safety Authority said nylon ropes must never be used in public spaces, be it day or night. “The police could have used clean reflective tapes. There are well laid out procedures in this regard,” he said.
A senior traffic police official said no formal complaint in this regard was received so far. “We generally use flourescent ropes which have ‘police line do no cross’ written on it,” he added.
