People risking their lives at level crossings in City

Impervious to the grave risk they put their lives into, and flagrantly throwing caution to the winds, impatient vehicle riders duck under the barriers to cross the railway track at the manned level crossings in the City.

That this practice is going rather unnoticed while it should have caught the serious attention of railway officials and police, who are expected to prevent deaths and delays of trains, is a cause for deep concern.

Pedestrians and two wheeler riders sneaking under closed gates has in fact, become most common sight at the four level crossings in the City.

However, railway officials and police appear to be least bothered to check such violations, as a result of which, road users, especially impatient 'trespassers' have developed the habit of venturing through the closed railway gates risking their lives.

Several accidents

The railway officials, since several years, have not fixed the portions of gates that have been damaged which is allowing two wheelers take risk and sneak past through the gates.

In the absence safety related measures and failure of monitoring such violations have resulted in several accidents at the level crossings in the last few years.

Narasimah Vasudev Mutalik Desai, resident of Dwarak Nagar, was a victim of such an accident at first gate. The tragedy could have been avoided if there were honest efforts in checking trespassing at the level crossing, Ravindra Totiger, an advocate, said.

Several fatal incidents have occurred in previous years. It not only young men even women riders are resorting to such life risking acts.

Though there are plans to construct road over bridges at these gates, with one already underway near Kapileshwar Temple, railway officials and police need to take necessary precautions to restrict people from sneaking past, by properly fixing the gates, installing signals, siren, speed breakers to check violation and even initiate legal action against the violators, until all road over bridges are realised.

According to sources in the department, officials have asked gatemen to check trespassing. However, they are helpless with public hardly heeding to their caution.

Impose fines

Railway Protection Force officials are required to check violations and impose fines on violators but hardly have any cases have been booked.

Railway officials claim that it is up to people to desist from sneaking past closed gate excising caution and wait patiently until approaching train passes.

With road over bridge at Tilakwadi, on Belagavi-Khanapur Road, taken up for construction, traffic congestion at railway gates have increased and more number of level crossing users are found taking risks.

Though City police have deployed police personnel at railway gates, it has however, not deterred in ensuring lane indiscipline among vehicle users and pedestrians nor they has it stopped them from sneaking under the barriers.