City police want more zebra crossings to make roads safer

With pedestrians being the most vulnerable lot of all road users in terms of fatal accidents on city roads, the traffic police have decided to ensure that zebra crossings on some key locations on arterial roads are in proper shape.

The traffic police conducted a survey and identified 483 locations on arterial roads and major intersections, which see heavy pedestrian footfall. The zebra crossings are either missing or faded in these locations.

The traffic police have written to the road-owning agencies to paint zebra crossings on all such locations.

Last week, additional commissioner of police (traffic) Anil Shukla wrote to road owning agencies like the Delhi Development Authority, public works department, New Delhi Municipal Council, all the three MCDs, Central Public Works Department, National Highways Authority of India and Delhi airport operator GMR.

A majority of the roads and intersections identified for marking zebra crossings are owned by PWD, followed by NDMC (see box).

“In absence of proper zebra crossings, pedestrians are forced to cross the road from different points as per their convenience. Such movement prove fatal at times as they are hit by vehicles. Zebra crossings will help in reducing such accidents,” said Shukla.
“A majority of hit-and-run incidents are reported at night. It is also because the existing zebra crossings have faded, and are not visible from a distance,” a senior traffic police officer said.

The officer added that the road-owning agencies have been told to use a painting material that can make the zebra crossing clearly visible even at night.

Some important locations identified that need zebra crossings include Paharganj, Jhandewalan, Pushta Road, GT Road, Punjabi Bagh Road, Ring Road, Andrews Ganj Central School, Kotla More and Okhla More (all PWD); Kali Bari Road and Lodhi Road Maxmuller Crossing (NDMC); Dwarka (DDA); Patparganj Mother Dairy and Savitrai Cinema T-point (MCD); Mehram Nagar signal, Aerocity Spine Road and Terminal 3 road (GMR).