On September 3, a 22-year-old married woman died after being hit by an RTC bus near Krishnarayapuram under the Pendurthi police limits. The incident allegedly occurred when she was trying to cross the road. During June third week, a 60-year-old senior citizen was allegedly hit by a speeding car while he was trying to cross the road at Marikavalasa junction. Both incidents are just an example of how dangerous the city roads have become for pedestrians.
The city has been facing two basic issues for a long time: lack of proper foot over-bridges and encroachment of footpaths, which are forcing pedestrians to walk amidst heavy flow of vehicular traffic, risking their lives.
Maddilapalem, Hanumanthuwaka Junction, Madhurawada, Marikavalasa, Butchirajupalem, Thatichetlapalem, Birla Junction, Kancharapalem, Akkireddipalem, Gajuwaka, Kurmannapalem, Pendurthi are a few areas where a pedestrians, especially children, find it very difficult to cross the road due to constant flow of vehicular traffic, including heavy vehicles.
In the East traffic subdivision limits, three pedestrians died in road accidents so far in this year.
There is a long-pending demand from local people for the construction of foot over-bridges at several places, especially on the NH-16 stretch passing through the urban limits. Officials too agree that flyovers at several junctions will ease pressure on the existing roads and reduce pedestrian accidents, but no action has been initiated in this regard.
Traffic police say that temporary steps like improving lighting, arranging proper signs, zebra-crossings and rumble strips to reduce speed of vehicles at particular points can reduce pedestrian accidents.
“The city traffic police have written to the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) to arrange such facilities in some areas like Hanumanthuwaka, Yendada, Venkojipalem, Hanumanthuwaka-Adavivaram BRTS road and Pendurthi,” says a senior police officer.
In areas like Dwaraka Nagar, Poorna Market, Akkayyapalem, Asilmetta and Chinna Waltair pedestrians express their displeasure at being forced to walk on the road with footpaths occupied by hawkers, pan shops, and eateries. Despite special drives to remove encroachments, unauthorised stalls thrive in these areas.
The city traffic police have once again recently launched a special drive against such encroachments in a few areas like Kancharapalem, Chinna Waltair and Gopalapatnam and the hawkers who occupied the roads and footpaths were asked to shift to some other places.
