Crossing the limits

Flouting rules

The intensification of drive against jaywalking by traffic police on Hosur Road in recent times and the subsequent arrest of jaywalkers brought to focus yet again a common occurrence that needs to be curbed at the earliest. Unfortunately, there are many who are not aware that jaywalking is an offence and that it carries a fine. Pedestrians also blame the missing zebra lines and the long stretches for jaywalking.

The traffic police point out that despite awareness campaigns held by them for pedestrian safety, people continue to follow this dangerous trend. “Pedestrian deaths and pedestrian-related accidents are almost 50 percent of the total accidents in the City. People don’t follow the safety norms. Awareness and initiative has to come from their side,” he says.

Preethi Krishnakumar, a teacher, agrees that citizens need to be more responsible. “When people suddenly cross the road, they confuse  motorists and disturb the traffic flow. I’ve seen people crossing roads when they shouldn’t be doing it. When the mistake is pointed out to them, they use foul language and get away with it,” she says. “Even though it is an offence, many do it blatantly. If proper signal lights are installed and  junctions are monitored properly, jaywalkers can be restricted to an extent,” she adds.

“In Bengaluru’s crazy bumper-to-bumper traffic, jaywalking can harm both pedestrians and motorists. It is worse when people cross the road with children,” says Sreeja S, a young professional. “It happens across the City — whether it is a  junction or a road — predominantly on MG Road, Madiwala, Silk Board, Ejipura, Mysore Road, Hebbal Flyover near the Baptist Hospital and Corporation Circle.

Some citizens talk about the need to have more awareness campaigns on the perils of jaywalking. Abdullah Kareem Saqib, an autorickshaw driver from Jayanagar, remembers how when a passenger got off his auto on Hosur Road, she was called by the traffic police for crossing right in the middle of the road. “While this is a good attempt to keep accidents at bay, not many are aware that jaywalking is a punishable offence. There should be huge hoardings and repeated awareness campaigns on the same,” he says. Jaywalking, according to him, isn’t restricted to smaller roads or busy junctions. “It is  prevalent everywhere and affects motorists and bus drivers the most,” he adds.

MA Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), says that the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) in association with the BBMP will attempt to address this situation by construction higher medians at identified spaces.

Ask him if there is a fine for the same, and he says, “The fine varies for jaywalking. We have to produce the offenders in the court. The cases registered in the past few weeks are 502 and this is restricted to  Hosur Road and City Market, where the pedestrian fatalities are more. The medians are really high there but people cross even those.” “There are 96 roads identified by the BTP, where  high-rise medians and pedestrian crossings will come up. Of these, some are in the CBD area like CV Raman Road, Ramana Maharshi Road, Jayamahal Main Road, St John’s Church Road etc.” He says that there are many fatalities on these stretches. Explaining the need for high-rise medians, he says, “Earlier the medians used to be just one foot high, but one can see people jumping over them easily. So we have asked for a minimum of four-feet medians to curb this tendency. These will be done with appropriate openings near zebra crossings.”

The common man, however, feels that unless there is proper infrastructure and respect for rules, the situation just might remain the same. Suhas Sriram, a resident of Kengeri says, “The attitude of the people should change. They should realise the risk of jaywalking. That apart, one of reasons for jaywalking could be because there aren’t enough skywalks or properly maintained zebra crossings in the City. Also, the fear of traffic police isn’t there among the citizens, as some of the cops let go off pedestrians when they jaywalk.”

However, with the BBMP and BTP joining hands to get high-rise medians in place across the City, one can only wait to see if they will serve their purpose.