Pedestrians crossing the road at risk to their lives.
In Dwarka, crossing roads, especially those on the Master Plan and pass by popular markets or busy intersections, has become quite risky. Nevertheless, pedestrians take the risk at Sector 6/10 market, Sector 1 traffic signal, Madhu Vihar etc. as they find no alternative to cross over to other side of the road.
Thanks to insensitivity and unruly behaviour of motorists, most of the roads in the sub city have become unsafe for people on foot. In their haste, these motorists are quite often found encroaching zebra crossings and jumping pedestrian lights with impunity in violation of pedestrians’ rights. Under the circumstances, road crossing has become Herculean task.
Residents have been demanding pedestrian-friendly roads, with direct accessibility at major traffic points to the other side of the road, for quite some time now. But the administration is yet to take notice of their grievances.
Highlighting the woes of pedestrians, DP Vajpeyee, president of Dwarka Lok Kalyan Manch and a resident of Sector 6, Pocket 1, said, “Sector 1 chowk being the busiest intersection of the sub city is very dangerous for those crossing the road on foot. As many schools are located in the area, children can be seen crossing the road here in large numbers. A foot overbridge is a must for direct accessibility of pedestrians to the other side of the road.”
A foot overbridge, a subway or any such infrastructure at major traffic intersections is a longstanding demand of the residents.
Explaining how pedestrians’ rights are trampled upon everywhere in the sub city, President of Dwarka Forum and resident of Sector 3, Ekta Society Madhuri Varshney, said, “There are both pedestrian light and zebra crossing in front of our society. But even those commuters who generally stop over at traffic signal, do not hesitate to jump zebra crossing from the spot where police barricade is installed.”
“Similarly,” he further said, “at Madhu Vihar, there is no provision for pedestrian to cross the road. If one wants to reach the society on foot from the other side of the road or vice-versa, he/she has to either cross over from the middle of the road or walk through Rajapuri Chowk covering a long distance. Earlier, there was a cut. But it is closed by barricades to ensure smooth flow of vehicular traffic. Pedestrian space is shrinking everywhere by the day.”
A joint survey of the administration and the residents was conducted in 2010 to earmark locations for foot-over bridge or subway in the sub city. But no follow up measures have been undertaken thereafter.
An RTI activist and a resident of Nav Sansad Vihar, Sector 22, Rejimon CK, who was part of the joint survey, said the survey conducted jointly by UTTIPEC, DDA, MCD and the residents for pedestrian-friendly roads spoke of foot overbridge at some major traffic points. But there has been no follow-up action on its recommendations.
“It’s time authorities took up the matter seriously as Dwarka happens to be a planned city that accommodates all the sections of the city,” he concluded.
