Bangaloreans may soon get over the fear of dangers lurking around the corner on streets. Thanks to an initiative by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the Traffic Police, the City’s roads are set to see better safety standards. All that at a cost of Rs six lakh earmarked for the purpose.

Safety signages of all kinds will be erected across the City, their violations will be acted upon and illegal signboards pulled down. Safety will be encoded in boards like school zone, road hump ahead, pedestrian crossing and 30 other signages.

The BBMP and police say they've taken cognizance of the lack of adequate safety and mandatory signboards across the City. A top police officer said signboards are indispensable to any growing city. “The City is expanding at a rapid pace and a lot of work needs to be undertaken by civic agencies. While expanding the width of roads, signboards (both mandatory and cautionary) are the first casualties. They are either removed or misplaced or destroyed. It will take sometime to set them again at the appropriate place."

The police claimed they are committed to erect safety/precautionary boards and hoardings at suitable places.
The government has set aside Rs six lakh exclusively to put up these signboards, IGP and Additional Commissioner of Police-Traffic K C Ramamurthy disclosed. The signboards will be put up at strategic locations within three months. “Ideally each junction must have a signboard.

There are 30,000 such junctions in the City, but enforcement boards are insufficient," he explained.
According to Ramamurthy, the police also have plans to slap fines of Rs 300 and Rs 500 for second and third time violators of signboard stipulations, respectively. 
 
City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao said a study is being conducted by the City Police to identify and mark out places where cautionary and mandatory boards need to be erected.

He said the signages will be need-based and tender process for work on signages will soon begin. The location of signboards will depend on specific requirements of that locality, road conditions and anticipated dangers.

Illegal boards
The BBMP has decided to flush out all illegal signboards and make way for safety symbols in their place.
All private boards, for e.g., ones that have directions to private establishments, will face the axe. Boards screaming 'No parking for visitors vehicles' in front of the apartment blocks' will also be done away with, said BBMP Commissioner Dr S Subramanya.  

Multi-storeyed buildings and apartment blocks have huge boards declaring that visitors' vehicles will not be allowed in. The BBMP commissioner is, however, firm on ensuring that visitors' vehicles must be allowed inside apartment blocks and other high rises.

“This way there will be more parking space on roads and space for signboards too,” Dr Subramanya said.
The authorities have also sought private sponsorship for their efforts. All boards will display the sponsoring private company’s name in bold below the mandatory cautionary sign. But don’t a large number of existing signboards carry the names of sponsors, often overshadowing the signage itself?

"We know that a lot of private companies get mileage out of sponsoring such boards. Private ‘no parking’ boards are also erected in certain places. But lack of funds has forced us to rely on private sponsorship," said another top police officer.

Safety culture should strike roots in Bangalore. Safety should be regulatory agencies' priority.

Only then, will signages dot the roads, reasoned a police officer. Every road user must inculcate the habit of following signboards as a rule, rather than an exception, he added.

Will Bangaloreans get out of ‘swalpa adjust madi’ mode and make our roads a little more safer?

Accidents caused in the last one month despite sign boards
*An elderly man was killed at a zebra crossing at Madivala junction despite the pedestrian crossing signage.
*A two-wheeler rider was killed on Kasturba Road two weeks ago when he was knocked down by a bus which overtook him at a road hump. This despite the warning signage on the street.
*These two cases indicate clear disregard for signages.