Concrete blocks about two feet in height serve as road divider on the busy Seshadri Road. In front of Freedom Park, where most protests are held in the city, 10-ft-high metal railings have been installed on top of the concrete blocks.
This, according to the police, is to ensure that traffic is not affected on the arterial road when rallies are taken out.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) B. Ramesh told The Hindu that the police had recommended that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) install the railing to ensure that traffic on both lanes on the major road is not blocked. “Protest rallies that are taken out from the railway station to Freedom Park often have several hundreds of participants. Once traffic is blocked on this road, vehicular movement in the entire Central Business District takes a hit,” he said, adding that with the railing in place, the police could ensure that protesters stuck to one lane, meaning traffic on the other lane is left undisturbed.
BBMP officials confirmed that the railings had been installed following a request from the police. An official from the civic body’s projects division told The Hindu that the railings would be installed till the underpass cutting across Seshadri Road. “For pedestrians, there is a skywalk. It has been installed in public interest,” he said.
Traffic expert Ashish Verma admitted that he had never seen such railings installed on any road anywhere in the world. He said they could have implications in terms of safety. “Before such interventions, due consideration should be given to the safety of pedestrians, road safety and traffic management. This is a rigid and heavy barrier. Unless it has reflective tapes or paint, it may not be easily visible in the glare of headlights. Also, the shadow effect will have to be taken into consideration,” he said, adding that the civic authorities may be solving one problem and creating another.
He said that concrete blocks as road dividers were also not desirable. He also pointed out the lack of safe pedestrian crossing on the stretch.
