Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday unveiled a project to develop 75 city junctions at Rs 150 crore to provide a “global standard” of pedestrian safety and to streamline vehicular movement.
The BBMP has partnered with WRI India and Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety to redesign the junctions under the ‘Suraksha 75’ project.
A recent press release stated that 123 pedestrian fatalities happened within a 250-metre radius of these 75 junctions in the last four years. The city has 350 signalised junctions and over 1,000 intersections.
Among the junctions to be developed include 8th Mile Circle, Sarakki, Kudlu Gate, BEL Circle, Kengeri bus terminal, Garguntepalya, NES bus stop, Yelahanka New Town, Hebbal junction, KR Puram, Mahadevapura, Marathahalli, Vartur Kodi, Yeshwantpur, KG Circle, Forum Mall, Devegowda petrol bunk, Silk Board junction, Kanteerava studio junction, Nayandahalli, Sumanahalli junction, and Garebhavipalya.
The list also includes junctions in good condition such as Rajbhavan Circle, Minsk Square junction, Anil Kumble Circle, Trinity Circle, Corporation bus stop, Domlur, and Windsor Manor junction. Bengaluru Smart City Ltd had already developed some of these junctions just a couple of years ago.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Engineer-in-Chief B S Prahalad said the junctions have been identified based on road safety research and traffic density.
“Footpaths along these junctions will also be improved. The main aim of this programme is to upgrade the city junctions at a scale to improve access, walkability, safety and overall quality of life, for all road users, equally,” he said.
WRI India’s CEO (interim) Madhav Pai noted that India accounts for 11% of road fatalities in the world, although it has just 1% of the world’s vehicles.
“We must re-imagine our roads and streets to make them safer and inclusive. Research establishes that pedestrian-friendly streets also make vehicular movement more efficient,” he said.
Published 27 March 2023, 21:35 IST