743 pedestrian deaths since 2015: Now, a chowk to be designed for walkers’ safety in Gurugram

  • | Friday | 15th February, 2019

We also have a few more things on paper to facilitate pedestrians and optimise the traffic signal cycle. Bakhtawar Chowk , where eight pedestrians have died in accidents since 2015, will be developed as a pilot, to be gradually replicated across the district. Just to clarify — there is at present no crossing in the city where the traffic signal gives dedicated time for pedestrians to cross.Gurugram will now have an intersection designed around pedestrian safety. It will have a “pedestrian signal” and dedicated platform for those on foot to wait while traffic is moving. Efforts are being made to make Bakhtawar Chowk an ideal intersection, which caters to need of all forms of transport, including pedestrians.

GURUGRAM: Around 40 years after a new city was conceived at a sleepy village on the outskirts of the capital, and over 10 years after it was incorporated as a municipality, the Millennium City — which grew around the promise of wide roads, fast cars and jet-setting people — has begun planning infrastructure to ease the life of its lakhs of pedestrians. That too, after 743 pedestrians lost their lives in accidents since 2015. Just to clarify — there is at present no crossing in the city where the traffic signal gives dedicated time for pedestrians to cross.Gurugram will now have an intersection designed around pedestrian safety. Bakhtawar Chowk , where eight pedestrians have died in accidents since 2015, will be developed as a pilot, to be gradually replicated across the district. It will have a “pedestrian signal” and dedicated platform for those on foot to wait while traffic is moving. District traffic police will conduct trials through February, so that by next month, the the design of the model “pro-pedestrian” signal is finalised.Traffic cops prefer push signals, that allow pedestrians to halt traffic, but the final decision is yet to be taken as there are concerns over misuse of the privilege. Officials also said unplanned halts will affect traffic flow. Considering feasibility, automatic signals with a time slot for pedestrians to cross could be chosen. The final decision will be taken at a meeting with Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority ( GMDA ) after the trials are completed.Bakhtawar Chowk was chosen after district traffic police, during a road safety survey, realised that while the road at the intersection was wide, the approaching roads were not so, especially considering the volume of traffic at it every day, which caused the regular pile-ups at the intersection. It also takes longer to cross, leading to mishaps. Around 5,000 vehicles cross this road everyday. Road safety standards stipulate that roads at intersections shouldn’t be too wide, allowing pedestrians to cross over faster and keep vehicle movement smooth.Once the problem was identified, it was decided that the crossing should be designed and renovated in a manner that can be replicated across Gurugram. Belatedly, authorities also woke up to needs of pedestrians. The signal will have a dedicated area on kerb for pedestrians to wait, dedicated phase of traffic signals for pedestrians, and uninterrupted zebra crossing on either side of the roads. Cops will also segregate lanes through temporary barriers, while road markings will be changed as per Indian Roads Congress Standards.As part of the trials, traffic police has already made diversions at the chowk. Under the new traffic plan, commuters from Sector 51 and Mayfield Garden can’t go straight towards Medanta and Huda City Centre, but will have to take a left towards Subhash Chowk, and then a U-turn towards Huda City Centre and the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway. The compulsory left turn has created some confusion among commuters, but this is being termed as teething problems by cops.“We’re analysing the results of minor changes made at Bakhtawar Chowk. We also have a few more things on paper to facilitate pedestrians and optimise the traffic signal cycle. We also plan to demarcate space for non-motorised road users, which will be done in consultation with civic agencies and experts. Efforts are being made to make Bakhtawar Chowk an ideal intersection, which caters to need of all forms of transport, including pedestrians. Based on its success, the model can be replicated at other crossings,” said Himanshu Garg, DCP (traffic).According to Amit Bhatt, director, WRI India, “The biggest problem with intersection design in Gurugram is there is no design at all. This is why majority of pedestrian deaths in the city happen near intersections. Bakhtawar Chowk is an example where instead of designing for safe mobility, the opposite has been done. Safe mobility for pedestrians and other roads users will require a redesign. The junction needs to be compact with traffic “calming” measures and dedicated infrastructure for pedestrians. Street lighting with proper signage will also help improve pedestrian safety.”“In Mumbai, the HP intersection in Bandra had a roundabout, but it was removed to increase traffic capacity. However, the intersection geometry was not redesigned. This decreased its capacity and made it unsafe for pedestrians. Later, rectifications were made and the new design reduced the area of the intersection by a third, with the same number of traffic lanes on all approach arms. The design was tested and it worked well for pedestrians as well as motorists, after which it was made permanent. That’s the lesson for Gurugram,” said Binoy Mascarenhas, a road safety expert.

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