It will take a couple of years to build the state-of-the-art police headquarters building in Banjara Hills - akin to the New York police building at Manhattan as envisaged by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. And perhaps, even longer to make the police of Hyderabad and Cyberabad world class. But surely, the police here can learn from the initiatives taken by police and civil administrators in New York City to achieve a dip in the death of pedestrians in road accidents there.
In 2014, New York recorded lowest pedestrian deaths ever, thanks to the initiatives taken by officials there. While 180 pedestrians died in road crashes there in 2013, the figure dropped to 132 in 2014. While overall road accidents and related fatalities had dropped in the commissionerates of Hyderabad and Cyberabad last year, pedestrians’ deaths remained unchanged.
Pedestrian fatalities in road accident had become crucial parameter of road safety measures as they constitute nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent of deaths in the total road crash deaths. Based on the Swedish approach that “all road accidents can be prevented”, New York city Mayor Bill de Blasio envisaged ‘vision zero’ plan to check deaths of pedestrians in road accidents. Lowering speed limit and vigorous enforcement of laws to control speeding of vehicles were among the different steps taken.
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Authorities there came out with fresh rule that enables them to suspend licence of a vehicle driver killing or maiming a pedestrian. In Hyderabad and Cyberabad, no specific measures aimed at reducing deaths of pedestrians have been initiated so far. “There are no pavements at some places and pedestrians are not using those available at other places,” says Cyberabad Traffic DCP Avinash Mohanty. In the years of 2013 and 2014, more than 800 pedestrians died on Cyberabad roads (see graphic).
The traffic police had written to the civic authorities to building foot over bridges at some places so that pedestrians can reach other ends of the roads safely. Efforts were on to identify stretches where pedestrians were frequently meeting with accidents and take steps to control them.
Hyderabad Traffic Police Additional Commissioner Jitender says providing basic amenities like railings along sidewalks and on medians not allowing people come onto the roads and cross the road are to be provided first. “We had written to the civic authorities to improve this as part of junction improvement, but steps are confined to road markings and zebra crossings at the intersections only,” Mr. Jitender said. There was need to bring in an attitudinal change among road users not to walk across the roads at will and use the pavements to the extent possible.
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