Zebra crossings and the fear of a fatal knock-down

Bengaluru was once considered a pensioner’s paradise. Today, with rising number of IT companies and vehicular population, the city has turned into a nightmare for many. Senior citizens find it difficult to negotiate the traffic, especially, if they are pedestrians.

The woes of walkers young and old have multiplied at the traffic intersections. Motorists violate the traffic rules with impuity and drive rashly causing inconvenience to pedestrians. To make it all worse, the footpaths are narrow, uneven and virtually unwalkable for senior citizens.

Crossing the roads is a herculean tasks for them as vehicles, two-wheelers in particular, randomly jump signals and continue to speed even if they spot a struggling walker. The time for pedestrians to cross the road has become very less.

Sanghubhai, a senior citizen who resides near Jalahalli notes, “Crossing the roads is very difficult for us. We need somebody to help us get across roads that are always busy. It takes around 10 minutes for me to cross as there is continuous movement of vehicles.”

Two-wheelers take over footpaths when there is heavy traffic. This makes commuting difficult for pedestrians. Walking is tough for students, especially in the morning when they are in a hurry to reach their schools and colleges on time.
“Drivers stop their vehicles on the zebra crossing in a disorganised manner. Navigating in between these vehicles is difficult. Car drivers and motorcyclists halt near bus stops making it difficult to board and alight buses,” observes Sushma, a student who commutes between Jalahalli and Jayanagar.

To expand roads, the width of the footpaths is often reduced. This leaves no space for people to walk freely on the footpaths. Congestion on the pavements forces pedestrians to walk on the road, causing inconvenience to both the vehicle drivers and pedestrians.

Standing near signals and waiting to cross the roads affect the health of the people. “Due to heavy traffic and less time for pedestrian movement at traffic signals, our health is getting affected,” laments Muralikrishna, a senior citizen.

People are forced to cross the roads at odd locations to avoid waiting for long durations at the signalled intersections. “I cross the road at odd places during the peak hours in an inappropriate way to save time as the roads near Sarjapur are always busy. It is risky but many people do it to reduce the waiting time. They are worried about reaching their destinations on time” says Swetha, a resident of Sarjapur.

The traffic police are often seen not stopping vehicles that begin to move even when pedestrians cross. The time given for pedestrians to cross must be increased, especially at busy junctions.

Says Prathima, a commuter from Banashankari: “I feel the time available to cross roads is very less. Near the Banashankari bus terminus, there is continuous movement of BMTC buses and private buses. Also people who come in vehicles to drop their relatives and friends halt in a haphazard manner. To cross the road at that junction is extremely difficult.”

She suggests that the police increase the time for pedestrian-crossings to ensure safety and convenience.

Pedestrians are overwhelmingly in favour of strict enforcement of another rule: A complete ban on movement of vehicles on pavements meant for people.

This, they feel, is critical to let people walk freely without compromising their safety.

Senior citizens face this problem more acutely than everyone else. But there are also many who simply cannot afford to step on a city pavement unaccompanied: The physically disabled and the visually impaired.